GOSSIP GIRL: I Showed Her
by wyndham.waldorf
Summary: On the Upper East Side, the only things that die harder than old habits are the iron clad pre-nups. N/D, D/S, C/B, B/L, general NJBC goodness. Drama, romance, and comedy abound. Post 5x10. How will it end? That's a secret I'll never tell. xoxo
1. Chapter 1: The Dilemma

A/N: If you have stumbled upon this I encourage you to read and hope that you enjoy! _Gossip Girl: I Showed Her _is just a little project I started to help me cope with the span between the _Riding In Towncars With Boys_ and _The End of The Affair_. I wanted to write a simple DATE fic, but as I began writing it started to develop a life of it's own. Though the Dan/Nate relationship is central to the story at this point, and the focus is a little Nate heavy, all NJBC perspectives are explored in somewhat equal or lesser extents. As story arcs develop on their own, and I do mean on their own (I find myself gasping/getting upset/cheering as the story develops in front of me, is that weird?) I am sure focus will change accordingly. The action here picks up a few days before New Years Eve, post _Riding In Towncars With Boys._

**GOSSIP GIRL: _I SHOWED HER_**

CHAPTER 1: _The Dilemma_

PART I

_**Spotted: Nate Archibald, high as a kite but feeling a little down in the dumps. It seems as though the Upper East Side's resident Golden Boy has been feeling a little tarnished as of late. For someone so athletic he sure has fumbled a lot lately. Filling the shoes of editor-in-chief of **_**The Spectator**_** has done nothing to fill the void in his heart. But if we have learned anything over the years it's that it won't be long until Nate takes a fall. Sometimes he falls in love, but most times he just falls into someone's bed. Which will it be this time N? Only time will tell. You know I'll be watching and waiting.**_

Nate Archibald needed a win under his belt. Sitting in the blue glow of his laptop screen in his modest office at _The Spectator_, the joint he had just finished smoking, remains of which were hanging precariously off the edge of his desk, had left him in an oddly self-reflective mood. Anybody who knew him would tell you that Nate Archibald is not wont to find himself in a self-reflective mood. Perhaps that was part of the problem? He wasn't sure. What he was sure of was that he couldn't seem to escape the feeling within him that he was missing something. Ever since graduating from St. Jude's the feeling had just grown larger and more pervasive within him, demanding attention. Running away from it with Chuck never seemed to work. Burying it under the sheets with romantic blunder after blunder didn't seem to help either. The last time he could remember the feeling being somewhat satiated was when he had found himself back with Serena. A smile curls across his lips at that.

He picked the joint up and slipped it between his lips, relighting it with a gold monogrammed lighter Serena had given him as part of his birthday present, along with a quarter ounce of weed and a ridiculous Roor bong, the year before. Exhaling, he noticed his thoughts coalescing into metaphors and meandering down alleyways hitherto unexplored. _This is some good shit, _he remarked to himself, throwing his feet up on the desk. Nate Archibald was like a meringue; pretty, light, easy, and (if this feeling within him was any indication), empty. He felt thoroughly outpaced by the other courses being offered on the buffet table of his life. Chuck was fugu; dangerous, exhilarating, and best if consumed in moderate doses. Bittersweet and decadent, Blair was a chocolate truffle. Serena was, of course, champagne, effervescent, endlessly intoxicating, and enlivening. Nate was just there, something to be popped into the mouth on your way out. Something to tide you over as you waited for something more…substantial.

All the smoking and food metaphors had left Nate more than a little peckish. He reached down and opened the drawer of his desk to find his munchie stash completely depleted, nothing but an empty bag of Sour Patch Kids remaining. Closing the drawer, Nate picked up his phone. Maybe someone would be down to get something to eat. Scrolling through the numbers in his phone he found his options somewhat limited - Chuck was inevitably brooding and subsisting on scotch, what with Blair's impending nuptials happening in just over a week. Blair herself was already in Monaco, with Louis, probably breaking in the entire Grimaldi household staff. His thumb settled on Serena, he dialed.

Three rings later she picked up, her voice full of laughter. "Nate!"

"Uh, hey, Serena. What are you up to?" He found himself smiling into the phone. Her laughter was always so infectious.

"Actually," There was almost imperceptible pause. "I'm with Dan. What's up?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to get a bite to eat. Dan's more than welcome to come along, of

course." He sat up and loosened his tie a bit. Suddenly it was getting a little warm.

"Hold on," Nate could hear Serena tell Dan that it was him before saying, "We just ordered some pizza and were just about to start watching _Downton Abbey_, wanna come over?"

Nate paused for a second. Whatever _Downton Abbey_ was, it sounded like something Dan would watch with Blair, which means he was going to need to be intoxicated to get through it without fidgeting. "Sure thing, I'll be there soon."

"Bring champagne!" Apparently Serena was on the same page.

"Way ahead of you." He laughed.

After hanging up the phone and throwing on his jacket, Nate realized that he hadn't included Dan in his metaphor. It didn't take him long to think of an answer. Dan was definitely mac and cheese; warm, comforting, and always a welcome treat.

* * *

><p>A change of clothes (<em>How does Chuck spend all day in a suit?<em>), another spliff (_Man, this is some really, really good shit.._), and a trip to the liquor store later, Nate arrived at Dan's loft. It had been a long while since he had last been there. In fact, the last time he could remember being there was a year or two ago. Things had just gotten so crazy lately, and to be honest, his miniscule role in _Inside _had really bruised his ego. As he ascended the last few steps to Dan's door, Nate's stomach churned a little bit. It would be nice to spend some quality time with Dan again, he was definitely a calming influence.

A knock on the door and seconds later he was greeted by Serena's smiling face. He smiled back at her. She looked impeccable, as usual, hair tied back into a tight bun, large dangling earrings, and an outfit of desert tones. "Hey!" he said, wrapping an arm around her. Dan was in the kitchen getting plates out of the cupboard.

"Dan was actually just telling me about the time that you nearly fell off the fire escape." She started to laugh. "Did you really think you could fly? " Nate blushed. Two years ago he had dropped some acid with Chuck and wound up at Dan's, much to Dan's chagrin. He was under the delusion that a pigeon had spoken to him and told him that humans were able to fly but they just never took the time to try.

"Oh, God! Well, in my defense, I had never dropped that much acid before. Luckily Dan here was a great trip sitter." Nate's eyes met Dan's across the room as he removed his coat. He noticed the color flush in Dan's cheeks.

"Yeah, that was a pretty interesting night." Dan met Nate and Serena on the couch with pizza laden plates. "Interesting enough for me to invite him to move in two weeks later. How're you doing, man?" Putting the plates down on the coffee table, Dan offered his hand out to Nate.

"Oh, come here!" Nate said, placing down the plastic bags full of champagne, grabbing Dan's arm and pulling him in for a hug. "I like what you've done with the place." The place had hardly changed since Nate had lived there.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's start watching shall we?" Dan plopped down on the couch next to Serena who was folded into a corner, picking the cheese off of a slice of pizza. Nate took a seat next to him.

"Fire it up! But first…" Nate fished a bottle of Dom Perignon from the plastic bag.

"Yay!" Serena clapped her hands together.

"And…" After digging through his pocket for a second, Nate produced a thick joint.

"Yay!" Dan said, mocking Serena's tone. "It's been a while since I've enjoyed an expertly rolled Archibald joint."

"And believe me," Nate said as he fished around for his lighter, "this stuff will not disappoint. I'm one and a half sheets to the wind as it is. Primo stuff. Chuck's stash." He found the gold lighter.

"Oh, you still have that! I figured you may have lost it by now." Serena remarked.

"Nope, and I think of you every time I use it. Which is saying something." He said as he sparked the joint, the blue smoke framing his face. Being Golden Boy was a stressful job, and it was no secret that marijuana was Nate Archibald's medicine of choice. He passed the joint to Dan just as _Downton Abbey_ began to play.

* * *

><p>A bottle and a half and two joints later, Nate couldn't be entirely sure as he was pretty far gone, but it seemed to him that this <em>Downton Abbey<em> was an old fashioned UK version of Serena and Dan. From what he could gather. He could be wrong, the subject matter seemed pretty dense to him. Resting his head on the back of the couch, he let his head roll to his right. Serena's legs were draped over Dan's lap, her stocking covered feet dangling in Nate's direction. Dan's hands rested on her lower thigh, a far away look on his face as he watched the TV. She sat up to pass the joint to Nate, her other hand pulling her hair out of her bun, the long blonde locks cascading over her shoulders. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Dan's eyes close. He must have been drinking in the scent of her hair. He used to do the same thing. His stomach did that churning thing again.

"I need some air." he said, getting up and heading to Dan's room where he could slip out onto the fire escape. Once outside he took a deep breathe and stretched. He couldn't decide if there was a weird energy inside or if he was just really high. He hadn't seen Dan and Serena together in a relaxed setting in a long time and he wondered if their intimacy was friendly or something else. He was curious as to why she had been at his place when he had called earlier. Why did he care? Wait, he cared because, technically, he was still hanging by her string. She never officially made a choice between he and Dan, she opted out. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. What was weird was that he felt something that he assumed was jealousy, but he knew he wasn't jealous of Dan. Somewhere along the line he had put enough distance between him and Serena to be out from under her, for the most part. He and her were a lot alike, the difference being that he wanted nothing more than to settle, to feel comfortable, while Serena ran the moment she realized that she had become so. _Too much thinking, _he told himself as he went to climb back into the loft.

It all happened in a moment. Looking back he wondered if he'd have been able to catch himself if he wasn't so wasted. But he was, and he didn't. He slipped. He slipped on Cedric of all things, who was, for some reason unbeknownst to him, on the floor. It would only be much later, when Dan found a little dried blood on his desk, that he would know that he smacked his head on his way down. But all he knew then was the sensation of the world slipping out from under him, a shooting pain to his head, and everything going black.

* * *

><p>Part II<p>

Nate Archibald's head usually only hurt like this after an evening with Chuck. He was a little scared to open his eyes and a little scared to roll over. If his night had ended with Chuck there would probably be some girl next to him giving him the eyes. He wasn't in the mood. He moaned and rolled over. The headache was too much to ignore, he would have to wake up to get some aspirin. _Just five more minutes._

"He lives." said a voice in the room. Nate craned his neck and opened one eye in the direction of the voice. Right, he had been at Dan's last night. Dan turned away from the computer at his desk. "You know," Dan started, his lopsided grin spreading, "I really thought that if it came to blows between you and Cedric that you would win. But it seems like he really handed it to you."

Nate sat up too quickly and winced, bringing a hand to his head. "What happened?"

"I'm not really sure. You said you needed some air. Around ten minutes later Serena and I heard a thud and we didn't think anything of it. After - " Dan paused and something flashed through his eyes, "well, I came in here and found you and Cedric on the ground. You were looking worse for wear."

Nate realized that it was still dark outside. "How long was I out for?"

"Well, to be honest, I didn't come by to check on you for about another thirty minutes after the thud."

"Thanks…"

"But since I found you, it's been about two hours. I thought you'd be out 'til morning."

"Where's Serena?" he asks, realizing that he is topless.

"She left." Dan's answer was a little too quick and a little too short. Nate decided not to press any further.

"Dude, do you think I could get some aspirin?"

"Sure thing." Dan got up and quickly left the room. He was clad in nothing but a baggy salmon colored v-neck tshirt and grey trunks. The only light in the loft, other than the kitchen light that Dan had just flicked on, was coming from a lamp on Dan's desk. The light was warm and yellow - not one of those new bulbs. Shifting his weight, he realized that he was also without pants. He lifted the covers to check just as Dan came back in with the aspirin.

"Like I said, I thought you'd be out all night," he laughed, nodding toward a folded pile of Nate's clothes and shoes. He handed Nate the aspirin and a glass of water.

"Thanks, man. Do me another favor?"

Dan raised his eyebrows as if to ask what.

"My weed and some papers are in my jacket. I've a feeling aspirin isn't going to take the edge off entirely," he smirked, downing the glass of water.

Dan returned with the contraband, handed it to Nate, and sat back down in his chair, swiveling it in the other boy's direction. There was a comfortable silence as Nate rolled the joint and Dan flipped through his phone. He laughed.

"What?" Nate asked, his pink wet tongue running along the joint slowly.

Dan's smile faded as he watched Nate do this and shifted a bit in his chair. Nate raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Oh, Gossip Girl says that all is not well between Blair and Charlotte Casiraghi. Go figure. Apparently Charlotte was none too pleased when seeing her seat for the wedding." He lifted a leg up to his chest and rested his head on his knee. "I can't believe Blair is getting married."

"I know, right? That was supposed to be me! D'you have a lighter?"

Dan opened a drawer at his desk, fished out a lighter and tossed it to Nate. "I just…"

"I know, man. I get it." Nate inhaled, the sheets crumbled about him, a long leg poking out from under them.

Dan sighed. "Chuck?"

"We may not have hung out in a long time," he began to exhale but spoke through it, "But I'm not completely blind. I know you Dan, and I could see that wounded look you had on when you brought Chuck and Blair together that night." He motioned to Dan that it was his turn to hit the joint. Dan got up and sat next to Nate on his bed, one leg on, one leg hanging off the side.

"Right." Dan inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. The silence that followed was heavy but not altogether uncomfortable. Things were rarely uncomfortable between these two.

"Look, as long as she's happy, right?" Nate offered.

"Right." Dan passed the joint back to Nate.

"Dan, I…I know I haven't really been there for you in a while." It was his turn to inhale, "And I know I kind of chewed you out about _Inside_, but you're one of my best friends, and I'm here for you if you need me. If you need to, you know, talk."

Dan shifted on the bed, scooting a little closer to Nate and folding his legs Indian style. "It's just…how did I get here? How am I…how am I in love with…Blair? As if that weren't enough to deal with, why did Serena have to -" he paused, avoiding Nate's eyes.

"Why did Serena have to what?" It was Nate's turn to shift.

"We've been hanging out," Dan's head was facing down but he looked up at Nate. He didn't know why he felt guilty. Serena was, or had been, the love of his life. Being in love with Blair didn't change that. But he was always intimidated by the history between Nate and Serena. It was the stuff of myth, part of the legend. "I don't know how I feel about it."

Nate passed the joint and wondered if the pounding in his head got more intense from this news or because he was finally completely conscious. "Do you love her?"

Dan coughed, a dense cloud of smoke blowing from him. A coughing fit ensued.

Nate grabbed the water and handed it over, rubbing his back for a bit in slow circles as Dan recovered.

"Oh my God, I'm so high!" Dan smiled as he looked up at Nate, eyes blood shot and squinted. He chugged the remainder of the glass of water and laid down next to Nate, laughing. "Oh my Godddd…"

Nate started to laugh mid-inhale, resulting in his own fit of coughs, though less intense than Dan's.

"You can clip that, man. I'm good. There's still some champagne, you want some?" Dan asked as he got up from the bed. Nate nodded, handing Dan his glass.

Dan came back with two glasses and two plates of pizza. "I love Serena," he began, handing Nate a plate and a glass. "But I'm just at a point where I don't know if that's enough, you know? After _Inside_…I don't know. She seems determined to give things another shot. And why not? It's not like me and Blair are happening any time soon, or ever. In the off chance that she breaks things off with Louis…I mean she was set to be with Chuck before the accident. And she's still marrying Louis. She loves him, and more than that, he gives her everything she's ever wanted. If there's anything that I've learned it's that it takes a lot more than love to make things work," at this point Dan was laying next to Nate again, picking at the cheese on his slice of pizza.

Nate sat silently for a while, thinking over Dan's words. He felt that strange variety of jealousy again. He didn't really want to be with Serena anymore either, did he? And he and Blair would never work. He took a long swig of champagne before he responded. "Serena has a way of getting her hooks into you, dude. I should know. She's fun, she's sexy. But she has a way of making you feel like…like…"

"Like if you hold on too tight she'll disappear," Dan said, looking into Nate's azure colored eyes.

"This is why you're the writer," Nate chuckled. "Speaking of _Inside_…"

"Look, Nate, I'm sorry."

"No. Don't be. I'm sorry. I overreacted. I read it again and thought about it…it's not like I've done much in my life that is worth writing about. What have I done? Slept with a bunch of older women. That's a plot line that gets tired real fast. Heck, Eric is totally more interesting. I can't blame you. I don't give anyone a reason to think I'm anything more than a pretty face," he took another chug of champagne. The glass seemed to be bottomless.

Dan leaned into Nate, playfully shoving him. "You're more than just a pretty face, you're _Golden Boy_. Really though, you're selling yourself short."

"Am I , though? I've just been feeling a little...adrift. Serena was like an anchor, you know? An anchor to my past, a time when things were simpler and less, whatever they are now." Nate could feel Dan's huge brown eyes on him. He lifted his leg, the sheet falling away, revealing his entire thigh and a peak of his white briefs. He was too high to care, it was getting warm.

A long silence transpired between the two, both of them staring off into the distance. Nate slumped back into the pillows and was the first to break the spell.

"I've missed you, man." He looked up at Dan, smiling, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it.

Dan grinned, leaning back onto the headboard. "I've missed you too."

* * *

><p>PART III<p>

Nate Archibald's nose itched. He scrunched it up a few times, trying to make it go away. He was so warm, and sleep was so heavy, he didn't want to move. But the itching persisted. He opened his eyes only to realize that it was the soft curls of Dan's hair that had itching his nose, and as consciousness slowly dawned on him he also realized that he had his arm wrapped around Dan. His brow furrowed. They were spooning. Dan was in the fetal position, a fist loosely curled around Nate's index finger. _Wait, _he thought to himself. _How?_ Nate couldn't decide if he was freaked out by this, if he thought it was weird. The fact that he couldn't decide if he was freaked out, instead of just being freaked out, freaked him out. Nate didn't think there was anything wrong with gay people, or being gay in general. Hell, Chuck Bass was his best friend, he had no problem with equal opportunity players either. He just never thought…he was getting ahead of himself. None of this actually _meant_ anything yet. He probably just rolled over and grabbed Dan like he often had to one of his pillows. A reflex. This thought calmed him. It calmed him enough for him to notice how wonderful Dan's hair smelled, and how soft the hand clasping his finger was. He was calm enough to enjoy, even for a second, the exquisite warmth that comes with a bedfellow, even if it was Dan Humphrey.

Dan murmured something and shifted in his sleep, his fist unclasping Nate's finger, only to intertwine with two more of them. Nate was scared to move. The sun was shining through the large windows in Dan's room, drenching it in warm light. The lamp was still on from last night. They must have dozed off. Nate felt that familiar tingling in the back of his nose, letting him know that he was about to sneeze. And he did, turning his face into the pillow. Dan jumped. _Fuck.._

Fingers slowly unlaced. Nate lifted his arm off of Dan, who rolled over and they both sat up, staring at each other silently for what seemed like an eternity.

"Did…did we..." Dan ran a hand through his hair, throwing his legs over the side of the bed, his back to Nate.

"Not unless you are in the habit of putting your clothes back on after, which I am certainly not."

Dan turned to face Nate. The rapidly changing emotions running through him were written on his face.

"It's not a big deal. Do you know how many times I've woken up to being Chuck's little spoon?"

Dan's face contorted. Nate laughed.

"I don't know what to…" Dan began.

"There's nothing to say. We fell asleep in the same bed. I must have rolled over and grabbed you in my sleep. We had a moment. Shit happens. What's for breakfast?" Nate stretched and got out of bed. Dan had never noticed Nate's ass before, but the sight of Nate in those Calvins made Dan wonder if he should make the switch back to tighty-whities himself.

"I could go for _Veselka_. You have the biggest bump on your head." Dan watched as Nate headed to the bathroom.

"Oh, fuck!" Nate screamed from the bathroom. "Wow, you weren't kidding!" Nate exclaimed. Quickly followed by the sound of him peeing. He walked back into the room. "Hey, do you have a t-shirt or something I could borrow?" He asked as he shimmied into his jeans.

"Er, not a clean one. Sorry."

"It doesn't matter, mine's got blood on it." He picked up a green sweater off of Dan's floor and threw it on. It smelled like Dan, who was still sitting at the edge of the bed, checking his phone.

"Serena wants to get brunch. At _Pastis_."

"Cool. Do you have an extra toothbrush?" Nate asked as he made his way to the bathroom again.

"In the medicine cabinet." Dan wasn't sure if the morning was developing too quickly for things to be weird or if things just weren't weird. Things had to be weird, right? He just woke up spooning, hand in hand with Nathaniel Archibald. The _Golden Boy_, Nathaniel Archibald. _Better than Chuck_, he thought to himself, cringing. Dan had never given much thought to his sexuality. He was fully in love with Serena by the time any of those questions would have arisen, and dating her by the time they would have started to become answers. And then there was Georgina, Olivia, and almost most regrettably, Vanessa, which was really just him trying to find a firm, safe place to stand. Or so he told himself. As he put on his clothes for the day, he figured that he was probably a 5 or 6 on the Kinsey scale. He couldn't pretend that an eyeful of sweaty Nate in the locker room post soccer didn't used to be a minor treat.

Nate emerged from the bathroom with a smile on his face. He was in a good mood, considering the speed bump on his head. It was nice to hang out with Dan again. "Sorry to be so needy, but do you have a hat? This thing is heinous." Nate took a seat on the bed, and Dan tossed him a grey beanie. He fussed with his hair for a second. "I look ok?"

_Better than ok, _Dan caught himself thinking. _Stop that!_ He told himself.

"I'm starving!" Nate says, standing up. "I'm gonna smoke a cigarette and call a car, meet me downstairs when you're done." Nate winked and he was off.

* * *

><p>"So, you're alive!" Serena laughed as she got up to greet Nate and Dan as they made their way to the table. "I'm sorry I had to leave last night, but I'm glad you're ok!" She enveloped Nate in a hug. Her hair was in a loose braid, nonchalantly thrown over her shoulder. Her slender frame was draped in a blush colored boyfriend blazer, a white slouchy tank top, and black leather shorts, sheer hose, and suede wedges. Nate may not have known for the life of him how to put an outfit together for himself half the time, but he was always in love with whatever Serena was wearing. They took their seats.<p>

"Hardly! Look at this!" Nate lifted the beanie to reveal the gigantic bump on his head.

"Oh, my God!" Serena laughed, covering her mouth. "Cedric wasn't fucking around!" She smiled and looked knowingly at Dan, who grinned back at her. The waitress came with water and took their orders.

"So, are you guys going to come to _The Spectator_ party for New Years?" Nate asks, thumbing through his phone.

"I didn't know their was one…" Dan replied.

"I hadn't really considered what I'm going to do,. New Years is always such a production," Serena mused, sipping her water.

"Well, you both have got to come, it's an order! It's going to be great. Everyone will be there. " Nate caught Serena look at Dan questioningly, and felt that movement in his stomach.

"Of course we'll - I'll come." Dan said just as the food came out. Serena's brow furrowed at this. Things had been going so well with Dan lately, but now she could feel him being distant. It was a strange feeling for her, knowing Dan was _in love_ with someone else, _Blair_ of all people. He'd dated others before but she knew she could always get him back if she really needed to. But now she felt the sneaking suspicion that she was going to have to put up a real fight, and against an opponent that only existed in Dan's mind no less. She tried her best to ignore the voice inside of her that was telling her that this was all part of her comeuppance for sleeping with Nate all those years ago. Losing Dan to Blair would be a crushing blow.

"Of course," she said, smiling before biting into a piece of toast.

_**Spotted: Golden Boy and Lonely Boy with their fingers sticky with the makings of a syrupy sweet scandal. For Upper East Siders it is brunch, not breakfast that is the most important meal of the day. Yesterday's clandestine exploits have a tendency to make the best morning treats, don't you think? Nothing says 'good morning' quite like a strange bedfellow. How do you like your eggs, S? We only ask because if we get our wish, you'll start the New Year with them all over your face. Delicious. You know you love me, xoxo, Gossip Girl**_


	2. Chapter 2: Something Borrowed

CHAPTER 2: _Something Borrowed_

PART I

_**It's New Year's Eve, and you know what that means. All of New York is buzzing, glittering, and preparing for another end of the year bash to remember. 2011 has been quite the ride hasn't it? We've certainly had a good time. It's that time of year to reflect on the past and make plans for the future. Most importantly, it's a time to line someone up for that perfect kiss at midnight. We wonder who S will be kissing. Lonely Boy? Golden Boy? Or maybe just licking her wounds. Have you made your resolutions? Before getting ready for **_**The Spectator **_**party, I figure I'll share with you a few resolutions of my own. First, I plan on expanding my scope just in time for B's wedding. Prepare for blasts from Monaco, everyone! Secondly, I'll be shaving down my Facebook friends. And lastly? Well, that's a secret I'll never tell. See you in 2012.**_

Nate Archibald was losing his mind. He couldn't think straight. It was New Years Eve, and although there was much to do before _The Spectator_ New Years Eve party, he couldn't get his mind to concentrate on anything. Well, anything but Dan Humphrey. He really didn't think much of it that morning when they woke up intertwined. He honestly thought it was just one of those things. And it was. That wasn't the issue. The issue was how he was giddy for the rest of that day and how he had to force himself not to call Dan for the past two. He couldn't get the smell of Dan's hair out of his head, or the feeling of his hand off of his index finger, or forget how adorable he looked while sleeping. Nate didn't care if he was bi, or gay, or whatever. But he did care that his heart, his mind, his penis or all three were tying to lead him down another romantically self-destructive road.

He slammed his laptop closed. _I need a drink, I need to go home._ He grabbed his briefcase, threw on his trench coat, told his secretary to call him if he was needed and left the office. In the elevator, he felt his phone vibrate.

_Hey._

Nate huffed and lowered the phone before looking at it again. It was Dan.

_Hey, man. What's going on?_

Out of the elevator and into a cab.

_Nothing much. What time does the thing start tonight?_

Nate was absolutely positive that Dan had gotten the E-vite, he had sent it himself at brunch two days ago.

_Starts at 9, but I'll be there at 10._

Out of the cab and into the elevator.

_Cool. Smoke before?_

Out of the elevator and into Chuck's apartment.

_Sure, come by._

"Chuck!" He shouted.

"There's no need to yell Nathaniel, I'm right here." Chuck emerged from his room, followed by Monkey. "What seems to be the problem?" Chuck, donning a purple velvet robe was already filling a glass with scotch. It was 2 in the afternoon.

"Pour me one?"

Chuck sauntered over and handed Nate a glass and lifted his in salute before taking a sip. "Don't you have planning to do for the party tonight?" Chuck sat down on the couch and crossed his legs, Monkey laying at his feet.

"I couldn't be there anymore. I think they've got it handled. I can't think straight."

"So, you've some new lady problems? I can't say that I'm not relieved. A chance to concentrate on someone else's misery but my own. Dish."

"Not new -" His phone vibrated. "Sorry."

_Are you home? xx S_

Nate's face fell, noticeably.

Chuck smirked, sipping his scotch.

_Yes. What's up?_

Nate shoved his phone back in his pocket and took a long swig. "Like I was saying.." But the elevator bell dinged and through the doors stepped Serena.

"Hey," she said breathlessly. "Hi, Chuck. How are you feeling?"

"A lot better now." He raised his glass to her. How amused he was.

"Nate, could I talk to you?"

"Sure."

"In private…" She looked over at Chuck.

"Oh, don't mind me."

"Chuck…" She gave him a look.

"Fine. Nathaniel, I'll be in my room. Try to keep it to a dull roar. C'mon, Monk." And with that, Chuck slinked off to his room.

"What's up, Serena?" Nate knew he must have sounded a little annoyed.

"Sorry if this isn't a good time, I should have asked…"

"You're here now. Let's sit." They made their way over to the couch and took a seat.

"Well, it's about Dan."

"What about him?"

"Has he…well…we've been kind of seeing each other again recently, but he's been acting so weird. Ever since the other night. Did he say anything?"

Nate pretended to think for a moment. "Nope."

"He just seems suddenly so distant. I know that I shouldn't be coming to you with this, but I don't have anyone else to turn to about it. Blair is so busy with wedding preparations. We tried to Skype but she was so distracted. You know how she gets when she's stressed."

"It's ok. But really, I haven't any idea what could be wrong."

"Alright. Well, maybe he'll open up at the party tonight. You promise to let me know?"

"Promise," he smiled with his eyes over the brim of his glass.

"Ok, I have to do some stuff before tonight. I'll see you later?" She gave that Serena over-the-shoulder smile.

"Later."

As soon as the elevators closed, Chuck reemerged.

"Nathaniel, you cad. You didn't tell me you were getting back with Serena."

"That's because I'm not. She was here about Dan."

"_Humphrey_. Humphrey, Humphrey, Humphrey. Everything's always got something to do with Humphrey."

"Yeah." Nate forced a grin.

Nate was adjusting his tie when he heard the elevator bell. "Just a minute!" Nate shouted, eyeing himself in the mirror one last time. The swelling on his head had mostly gone down, allowing him to slick his hair back. He found Dan on the couch, petting Monkey.

"Every time I'm here, I'm surprised Chuck still has him." Dan says, referring to the dog.

"Right? He really loves him though." Nate walked up to Dan with his arms outstretched. "How's it going, man?" Dan stood to meet him and the two embraced. Nate went to fix him a drink.

"I've been alright. Glad this year is coming to close. That seems to be the case every year." Dan said, taking the glass Nate was offering him and taking a sip.

"That's a real shame, Daniel," Chuck emerged from his bedroom, his usual smug smirk painted onto his face. He fixed himself a drink before continuing. "Every year is a good year when,"

"_When you're Chuck Bass. _Yeah, yeah." Dan said, rolling his eyes. Nate laughed.

"Laugh all you want Humphrey, but one day you'll find that making things happen instead of letting things happen to you let's you go to sleep at night with a certain…peace of mind." Chuck was packing down a cigarette on the kitchen counter.

"Hey, man, we were just about to smoke a joint, if you'd like to join." Nate said to Chuck as he and Dan headed toward the balcony.

"Perhaps another time, Nathaniel, I've got to take the dog out for a walk before we go." Chuck placed down his glass and patted his leg, bringing Monkey to attention.

"We'll see you there?" Nate asked as Dan stepped out onto the balcony.

"Right." Chuck nodded just before the doors of the elevator closed.

Nate grinned to himself and joined Dan on the balcony. It was warm for New Years Eve. He stretched and took a deep breath. "Nice night out tonight, huh?" He fished a joint out of his jacket pocket.

"Yeah." Dan was looking wistfully at the skyline. His eyes bounced over to Nate as he lit the joint, the end changing from a fiery orange to cherry red and back again. Nate was smirking at him. "What?"

"Nothing, man. Nothing. Listen, I figured I should tell you. Serena came by before asking about you. She says you've been acting distant." He passed Dan the joint.

Frustration flashed over Dan's face. "See, I just. I don't know if I can do this again with her. But I feel bad, she's trying so hard. She's so excited about tonight. Keeps going on about how the new year is a new start." He was resting his forearms on the edge of the balcony, looking out to the city. Nate walked over and joined him. Their faces were inches apart when Dan turned his head to look at Nate, their eyes dancing about the other's faces. "I keep telling myself that I just need to ride it out, that once my feelings for Blair subside, I'll rediscover my feelings for Serena? Is that even what I want?"

Nate took the joint and the two looked out into the night, a silence settling over them. Several moments passed before Nate spoke. "Maybe you just need some time alone? It's not like Serena won't understand, it's basically what she told us." Nate threw his arm over Dan's shoulder. "Look, man, you've got a lot going for you right now. _Inside_ is doing great, you're almost finished with NYU. Maybe you just need some time, to figure out what you want your next move to be."

Dan's voice cracked a little when he said, "I'm just emotionally exhausted, you know? I feel like I've been fighting for the past two years. I just want to rest…"

"Listen," Nate said, cupping his hand behind Dan's neck, forcing him to focus. "You're talented, and successful. You take care of everyone, better than I ever did. I'm proud of you, you've come a long way. _Lonely_ _Boy_ isn't so lonely anymore. Serena loves you, she'll wait for you. For a time," he smirks despite himself. "And hey, if she doesn't, you've always got me. You were there for me when no one else was, don't think I've forgotten that. One of these days I'm going to have to return the favor." Nate smiled at Dan. And before he knew it, his smile had faded and his hand still lingering on the back of Dan's neck. Nate had never stopped and actually _considered_ Dan before. He was beautiful. His eyes were anyway, and those deep, emotional brown eyes were fixated on his own. Nate felt that churning in his stomach. He was transfixed. He couldn't move. The pause was nine months pregnant.

Dan didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think either. He didn't hear much of what Nate had just said, if he were to be completely honest. He was distracted, distracted by the hand that, somewhere along Nate's monologue, had started to gently massage his neck. He couldn't take his eyes away from Nate's. For the first time probably ever he was _seeing_ him instead of just _looking_ at him. The high cheekbones, the impossibly naturally well kept brows. His lips.

"Dan…" Nate almost whispered. His eyes had wandered from Dan's, down his face to the other boy's lips. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, on auto-pilot. Nate would never remember when he made the decision to start leaning in, to begin bringing his mouth close to Dan's. He could feel Dan's breath on his lips, practically taste his mouth. The point of no return was about to be crossed .

_Is this about to happen?_ Dan asked himself.

_This is happening, _Nate affirmed inwardly.

"Whatever's about to happen, by all means, don't let me stop you, " said Chuck, leaning against the doorframe and lighting a cigarette.

PART II

Nate Archibald knew how to play it cool, but he was a horrible liar. Considering the compromising position they had just been caught in by the Prince of Darkness himself, he was acutely aware of how cold his hand was after removing it from Dan's neck. Strangely, he wasn't so much embarrassed as he was frustrated. His whole body was tingling, and he was pretty sure he had a semi in his pants. The three of them stood there in silence for an awkwardly lengthy period of time, Chuck contentedly smoking.

"Whatever it is you and Daniel were…_talking_ about, feel free to continue. Just pretend I'm not here."

"I was just telling Dan about how Serena stopped by earlier." Nate put his hands in his pockets.

"Excuse me, I've got to use the bathroom." Dan slipped by Chuck who stared at him. Dan could feel Chuck's eyes on him until he turned the corner. Closing the bathroom door Dan took a deep breath and a long exhale. He turned on the sink and splashed his face with water. He looked at himself in the mirror, his heart still racing. _What the hell?_ He asked himself. Dan knew himself well enough to know that he had a tendency to develop feelings for any pretty face that took pity on him, but Nate? Really? Dan made a decision then, to try and give things with Serena another honest shot.

Back outside, Chuck was examining Nate silently, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. His eyes were fixed on Nate. It was a wonder to him how it had taken him this long to begin to…explore his options. He himself had been exploring all avenues available to him since he was fifteen, and had been encouraging Nate to do the same. Sometimes it just took too much work to get a woman into bed.

"Honestly, Nathaniel, I'd always figured that if you were going to experiment with a guy that you would choose someone special, a more equal physical specimen. But I suppose it's comforting knowing that your taste in men is just as questionable and undiscriminating as your taste in women. You are nothing if not democratic." Chuck stamped out his cigarette under his foot.

"Shut up, Chuck." Nate slipped past him to go inside just as Dan emerged from the bathroom.

"Serena is on her way to the party, we should go." Dan said, not meeting Nate's eyes.

The three boys gathered into the elevator, an awkward silence settling upon them. Chuck grinned to himself as the doors closed.

XOXO

Serena had met them outside, and the four of them walked into the party, held at the Boom-Boom Room at the Standard Hotel. _The Spectator_ was the city's hottest new rag. New York's brightest, boldest, and most beautiful had shown up to see, be seen, and hopefully get the scoop on whatever juicy stories would be splashed in the gossip columns of _The New York Post_ and of _The Spectator _itself tomorrow morning. The champagne was flowing as freely as the chiffon on the gowns but, as usual, no one looked more spectacular than Serena van der Woodsen, her lithe figure wrapped in a yellow Marchesa column dress. She had noticed that Dan was acting even more strange than he had been earlier in the day, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. She laced her arm through his as they made their way to the bar.

"Are you ok?" She asked when they arrived at the bar, fishing through her clutch for her phone. She checked it and put it back. "You've been acting really weird."

Dan slid her flute of champagne to her as the line of his mouth spread into a flat grin. He pressed his hand into her lower back. "I'm fine, I promise. Just a little tired. I've been writing a lot recently, keeps me up." He kissed her on the cheek.

XOXO

On the other side of the room Nate was busy trying to politely deny Andy Cohen's request to be a guest on _Watch What Happens Live_, and watching Dan out of the corner of his eye. His stomach had been doing somersaults since they left _The Empire_. He sipped his champagne and placed a hand on Andy's shoulder. "I'll promise to think it over, but if you'll excuse me for a second, I've got to make my rounds! Call me at the office." As he turned his back he rolled his eyes. Once he had put a safe distance between he and Andy Cohen he pulled out his phone. He couldn't handle this anymore, he needed to at least address what had happened with Dan. Nate texted him.

_Meet me on the roof deck in 30? We need to talk. N _

XOXO

"I'm so glad I'm here with you tonight." Serena smiled at Dan and squeezed his knee. They were sitting in an alcove, people watching. "It's been a tough year for everyone. I'll be glad to see it put behind us." She waited for Dan to say something. When he didn't, she continued, "I…I just want to apologize again for pushing you away this year." She grabbed his hand, and he squeezed it. "I love you."

Dan grinned at her sheepishly when his phone went off. He looked down to see a text from Nate. He blushed and his heart raced. He looked up at Serena for a second but she was looking out at the crowd. Lea Michele was making a fool of herself on the dance floor.

_Alright, see you then. D_

"What exactly is she doing?" Serena giggled. "Come on, I want a closer look." She got up and offered her hand to Dan who took it and they made their way over to the small circle that had formed around the starlet. Lea Michele was wasted and trying her damnedest to do the worm on the floor, but instead just looked like she was flopping around like a fish in Versace. While Serena laughed and took pictures on her phone, Dan couldn't stop the thumping in his chest.

XOXO

Chuck Bass was busy mentally undressing Ivanka Trump as they joked about her father's fledgling political aspirations when Nate appeared. Ivanka's eyes lit up as she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.

"Long time, no see, Archibald," she cooed.

Nate grit his teeth for a second. One session of '7 Minutes In Heaven' when he was 14 (unbeknownst to Blair) and she's been after him ever since. At her wedding she had even drunkenly professed in his ear during a spin on the dance floor that she'd wished things could have worked out between them. He was never entirely sure what she wished would have worked out, however. _Whatever gets you through the night, doll_, he had thought to himself that night. But right now he had next to no patience for her. "Ivanka, I'm going to have to borrow Chuck for a minute, but you tell Jared and your family I said 'Happy New Year'!"

He grabbed Chuck's arm and lead him aside. "I need a favor, man."

"Nathaniel, you know very well I don't walk around with more than a gram of coke at a time…"

"I need you to distract Serena while I...I need to apologize to Dan. About earlier."

"Who could say no to that puppy dog face? I'd be glad to."

XOXO

After a turn or two on the dance floor with Serena, Dan removed his jacket and lead her to the bar. He draped his jacket down and ordered two champagnes. "Is it me or is it getting warm in here?"

"I think it's all the dancing," She wiped her forehead with her forearm. "I must say you have gotten a lot lighter on your feet!" Serena was all smiles. She ran a hand through her hair before taking a flute from the bartender and took a long sip. "Almost midnight!"

Dan would be lying if he said he wasn't having fun with Serena. Actually, he'd almost forgotten that he had to meet Nate upstairs, but her proclamation of the time brought him back to reality. His heart started to thump again. "I've got to go find the bathroom before the ball drops!" Chugging down his champagne he squeezed Serena's shoulder and scurried into the crowd.

Serena looked confused, shrugged, and noticed Dan forgot his jacket. Pulling it toward her, she turned around just in time to see Chuck heading in her direction.

"Serena." Chuck lifted his glass to her.

"Chuck." And she to him. "You look good."

"Not as good as you."

She wrinkled her nose at that. "Are you coming to the wedding next week?"

Chuck nearly winced, but maintained his composure. He finished his scotch and nearly slammed his glass onto the bar. "Haven't decided yet."

"Right.

"So you and Humphrey have decided to give things another shot, I see. I guess it's true what they say, you can take the girl out of Brooklyn, but _you can't keep Brooklyn out of the girl_." Chuck gave Serena a lingering look and wink.

"Chuck, why do you have to always be so gross?" She laughed and slapped his arm.

"Someone has to. But really, it's nice to see that as you and Humphrey reignite your romance, Humphrey and Nathaniel reignite their _bromance. _It's always been such a delight to watch. Or at least it was tonight."

Serena threw Chuck a look but smiled into her glass. "Yeah, it's sweet. They're good for each other. Dan keeps Nate steady and Nate keeps Dan honest."

"And soon they'll both be keeping each other warm at night." Chuck said quietly, but made sure to be loud enough that Serena would hear. He had seen something in Nate's eyes earlier that night, a flicker of something he hadn't seen since that night so long ago at the Shepherd wedding when Nate had come to him to tell him that he had just had sex with Serena. Chuck wasn't much for philanthropy, he was more dog-eat-dog in his philosophy toward life, but there were people he loved and wanted the best for. Nate was among those at the top of that list.

"What?" Serena looked incredulous.

"It was a joke. Or at least, I think it was a joke. I for one have always thought their relationship was more Bro-back Mountain than Half Baked. But as you said, my mind is always in the gutter. Don't listen to me." Chuck grabbed his glass after having it refilled. "Now, if you would excuse me, it looks as though Lydia Hearst needs someone to kiss at midnight." Straightening his jacket, Chuck lifted his glass to Serena and wandered off.

Serena had a confused smirk on her face. Chuck was so weird. There wasn't a situation in the world that he couldn't pervert. Right? There was no way. Just as she downed the last of her champagne, she heard a vibration come from Dan's phone. The trepidation on her face would have been visible to any (sober) passerby. Something within her told her to check his phone. But she couldn't do that. Could she? Before she could even answer herself she fished it out of his jacket pocket.

_Where are you? N_

XOXO

_Ten.._

Nate was staring out over the skyline when he heard the doors open behind him. In spite of himself, a smile spread across his face. "Hey, man."

_Nine.._

"Hey. Sorry I'm late!" Dan couldn't help but grin, though he felt like fainting. But he knew he shouldn't be feeling so excited. He and Nate were friends, good friends, and what _didn't_ happen earlier didn't happen. Nate probably invited him up here to alleviate the awkwardness the way he had the other morning. That thought sparked in him a small sadness. But why?

_Eight.._

"Listen, about earlier…" Nate began, but Dan cut him off.

_Seven.._

Dan had a habit of rambling when he was nervous. "Real awkward, right? That must have looked so strange to Chuck. Did you tell him that you were just trying to cheer me up? Thanks for that, by the way. I needed that pep talk. But as far as compromising situations go, that was pretty bad. I guess not as bad as it would have been if someone had found us the other morning," he laughed. "Actually that would have been less a compromising position than a field day for Gossip Girl, right?" Nate stepped toward him.

_Six.._

"Dan…" Now Nate was laughing.

_Five.._

"What did Chuck say about it? He's such a perv. He's probably been making sleezy innuendos all night, hasn't he. Where is he? I haven't seen him in a while…" Nate was closer still.

_Four.._

"_Dan_…"

_Three.._

"He's probably going to ride us about that for months, knowing him. But really though, how -"

_Two.._

Lips crashed into lips. Any doubt in Nate's mind was quelled. Any certainty in Dan's heart was obliterated. The fireworks in the sky, well, they were nothing compared to the explosion happening within these two friends, seemingly on the precipice of something more. Nate's hand ran through Dan's hair, pulling at his curls. Dan gripped Nate's lower back. The floodgate had been opened, the threshold crossed. Feverish kisses were broken only by smiles. Sirens blared, crowds were screaming, it was as though New York herself was toasting the beginning of something wonderful. Or was it?

XOXO

As Serena cracked open the door to the roof deck she was greeted with the tableau of her two former beaus, locked together and framed by fireworks. She would speculate later whether it was habit or instinct that lead her to take out her phone and take a picture. She had a feeling it would come in handy.

_**Spotted: S starting the New Year by taking out an insurance policy for her relationship with Lonely Boy. The collateral? He and Golden Boy's reputations. S can try and defame us all she likes, but when the chips are down, where does she come to cash out? Me. In a city where secrets are worth more than their weight in gold, the Bank of Gossip Girl starts the year with surpluses greater than that of the Notorious AIG, and we hear S has a doozy to share. So how about it S, care to make a deposit? **_

PART III

Nate Archibald was having a good year. Granted the year was mere minutes old, but it was true nonetheless. The feverish kissing subsided with the fireworks and what was left was much more tender, much harder to blame on getting caught up in a moment, or being under the influence. Nate broke off and looked into Dan's eyes, which were sparkling in a way he'd never seen before. He was sure that if he smiled any wider, his face would rip. He didn't want to ruin the moment with words, instead he just pulled Dan to him and held him. Dan rested his head on Nate's shoulder, his eyes closed. Even then Nate could feel the purity of this moment slipping away from them and knew that going forward they would have to fight to find it again. His phone vibrated.

"I don't want to check it because that means I'll have to move." He spoke into Dan's hair.

"Then don't."

Nate sighed and peeled himself away from Dan enough to grab his phone.

_Have you seen Dan? S_

"Crap." He shoved his phone back into his pocket.

"What?"

"It was Serena, she's looking for you."

Dan separated himself from Nate quickly and suddenly, the look on his face wasn't exactly panic, but it was certainly panic adjacent. "Fuckfuckfuckfuck!"

"What? What happened?"

"I told Serena I was going to the bathroom like - what time is it?"

"Twelve-fifteen."

"FUCK!" Dan dashed toward the door, leaving Nate on the roof deck alone.

Nate sighed, a smile still playing at the corners of his swollen lips. He fished out his phone.

_No, haven't seen him in a while. N_

He was right about one thing, there was a fight in store.

XOXO

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck…" Dan said to himself as he raced down the stairs. It was as if he hadn't only moments ago been wrapped up in the arms of Nate Archibald. The only thing going through his mind right now was damage control. Yet, every time he blinked all he could see was fireworks. If he stopped to think for even a moment, he might fumble. He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair before entering the room, eyes bouncing about frantically looking for Serena, instead, they found Chuck, who was talking to a leggy blonde, who fortunately or unfortunately was not Serena. He tapped him on the shoulder.

Chuck turned around, looked Dan up and down, and turned back to Lydia Hearst. "As much as I would love to hear the rest about your run-in with Galliano post exile from Dior, I'm afraid my valet here has something of import to share with me. You have my number." He turned around, a miffed look in his eye. "What is it, Humphrey?"

"Valet? Really?"

"If the BOGO sale shoe fits…"

"Where's Serena?

"Gone. She told me to give you these." Chuck handed Dan his jacket and his phone. "How was your New Years kiss?"

"Grea - I mean, what? What kiss?"

"Tsk, tsk, Daniel. Everyone knows the best years start with a kiss." Chuck moved his lips in a smooching motion, spun on his heel and walked away.

Dan checked his phone.

_Where are you? Did you fall in? Not feeling well, went home. Happy New Year. S_

His stomach dropped. He dialed her number but it went straight to voicemail. Dan held a hand to his forehead, trying not to think about how much trouble he was going to be in or how he was going to talk himself out of it when he spotted Nate. Maybe he would know how to play this. Throwing on his jacket, Dan made his way across the room. "Hey, uh, can I talk to you?"

"Sure. But first, Dan Humphrey, Wendy Williams. Wendy was just telling me she's a huge fan of _Inside_." Nate smiled. Dan shook her hand.

"I loved it! It was JUICY! Talk about saying it like you mean it! You really tore Serena up! I'd love to have you on the show. Speculation about the inside scoop on _Inside_ has been our lead in to Hot Topics for months! I won't take up any more of your time though. Nate it was great seeing you again, and Dan it was a pleasure to meet you. We'll be in touch," Wendy giggled and waded through the crowd.

"How tall is she, like, eight feet tall?" Dan said, looking over his shoulder at Wendy.

"I know, right? She's great though. We have a correspondent from _The Spectator on her show every week. She's hilarious. Anyway," Nate hushed his voice. "What's up?"_

"_Serena's gone. I told her I was going to the bathroom when I went to meet you. Nearly half an hour later I still hadn't come back, she left sick. She isn't picking up her phone. This is a mess! What are we doing, Nate? What just happened?"_

"_Hey, hey, hey..calm down." Nate put his hand on Dan's back and lead him to a table. "Did you have your phone when we were upstairs?"_

"_No."_

"_Ok, well, just say that you got caught up. Tell her that I introduced you to Wendy, that wouldn't even be a lie. Everyone knows the girl can talk. Cheer up," he smiled. "You're not…you're not weirded out or anything, are you?" His brow suddenly knit with worry._

"_No. No? It was…it was great," Dan smirked. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt. Things have been going great between me and Serena and, I dunno. I just don't want anyone to get hurt." The truth was, Dan was weirded out. He was weirded out by the fact that even though he was worried about Serena's feelings, all he really wanted to do was be wrapped up in Nate's arms again. Just like the other morning, something in him was all too comfortable with this recent development. He supposed this is how it is for a lot of people, a sexual experience coming before any kind of dawning realization. He reminded himself to ask Erik._

"_Good, I thought it was great too. Amazing, actually." Nate was positively buzzing. "Since Serena is gone, what do you say we go back to my place. We could just smoke, and talk. Or we can smoke and not talk." He winks after that last bit._

"_Smoking and talking sounds nice."_


	3. Chapter 3: The Day The Mirth Stood Still

CHAPTER 3

_**They say all's fair in love and war, and no one knows that better than better than the Upper East Side's resident warrior queen, Blair Waldorf. Queen Elizabeth may have bested the Spanish armada, Cleopatra may have conquered the hearts of both Caesar and Marc Antony, but Blair Waldorf, armed to the teeth with ambition and with a full battery of bon mots has somehow managed to thwart the considerable Bass campaign for her heart and land herself an actual prince. There is no bigger opportunity for a clusterfuck than a wedding though, and with all of our favorite Upper East Siders storming the shores of Monaco, we have a feeling that B-day will not disappoint. Especially since a little birdie tells us that none other than Georgina Sparks was spotted on a yacht off Monte Carlo. xoxo**_

PART 1

Blair Waldorf's day was off to a very rough beginning. For starters, none of her shoes fit. Alaia, Vivier, Louboutin, even Prada, they were all betraying her. A pile of discarded shoes lay in the corner of the room as Dorota tried to slip her feet into another pair of Sergio's. When that failed, Blair flung herself back onto the bed with an exasperated sigh.

"Enough, Dorota! I give up. I've officially gone from Cinderella to ugly, pedal-challenged stepsister! I'm going to have to walk down the isle in CROCS! Oh, God! Quick, fetch me a quill and parchment so that I may scribble down my last will and testament before I go drown myself in the palace reflecting pool," Blair snapped.

"Doesn't Ms. Blair think she is being little dramatic? You are only four month along." Dorota asked nervously.

"THERE ISN'T ANYTHING LITTLE ABOUT ME AT THIS POINT, DOROTA! This is a disaster, I can see the headlines now, 'BLAIR WALDORF MARRIED BAREFOOT AND PREGNANT', 'IS THAT BLAIR WALDORF OR BRITNEY SPEARS?', 'NO GLASS SLIPPER FOR THIS PRINCESS'," Blair covered her face with a pillow.

"Did I hear someone mention glass slippers," came a French accent from the door of the lavish royal apartment Blair had been appointed for the days leading up to her nuptials. Blair removed the pillow from her face, but made no effort to look in Louis's direction.

"Leave me, Louis. I am mourning the death of my friends. As you can see they lay dead in a pile," she gestured dramatically to the pile of shoes. "How do you feel about a bride in orthopedic shoes?"

Louis made his way over to Blair's bed and placed a hand on her forehead, brushing away some of her hair. He had an arm behind his back. "Such a dismal outlook for a girl who is about to become a princess!"

"I'm never going to become a princess if I cannot walk down the aisle in an acceptable pair of shoes! There is so much to do, I hardly have any time to go shopping. What am I going to do, Louis? My friends will be here in two days! The wedding is in four!" She placed the back of her hand on her forehead in a 'woe is me' display.

"Perhaps my friend Guiseppi knows how to make you feel better." Louis smiled down at her and placed a Guiseppi Zanotti shoebox next to her head. Blair's eyes snapped open. Opening the box, she squealed and was delighted with what she found.

"Oh! Louis! How did you know?" She sat up and handed a shoe to Dorota who slipped the shoe onto her foot with a smile.

"It fit!" Dorota clapped.

"As will these," Louis snapped his fingers and into the room marched six footmen all carrying a shoebox. "I could not have my bride go shoe-less in the days leading up to her fairytale wedding."

"But -," Blair shrieked as she leapt from the bed and examined all of the shoes. "How did you? When did you?"

"I had a little help from your fairy Godmother," Louis laughed as Blair hugged him tightly. Louis snapped one more time and a footman carrying a computer came into the room. It was open and on the screen was the smiling face of Serena.

"Surprise!" Serena shouted from the computer.

Louis kissed Blair on the forehead. "I have some things to do, but you enjoy trying on your shoes and talking to Serena. Bye Serena," he waved at the screen, which had been placed on Blair's desk. He left the room with a small bow in Blair's direction. Blair ran over to the computer as the footmen lined the shoes up by her bed. Dorota began to put away the pile of discarded shoes.

"You have no idea how perfect this was," Blair smiled. "I was literally down to one pair of Chanel flats. I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown."

"Louis emailed me the other day and told me you were having problems with your shoes, so I sent him a list of things I thought you would like. B, he really is Prince Charming." Serena was on her bed at the Waldorf residence, her hair tied up and in a red satin robe. It was 3AM in New York.

"I know, right?" Blair looked around. "Dorota, if you could stop fussing with those shoes and eavesdropping, I'd be very appreciative. I'd like some tea. And close the door." While Dorota did as she was told, Blair turned her attention back to Serena. "So, speaking of princes, how is the Dark Prince? Still holed up in the Fortress of Disquietude?"

Blair had remained in New York just long enough to find out whether or not Chuck was going to wake up from his coma, and when he did, she ran as fast as she could. In those dark days following their accident, she drove herself nearly insane with guilt and vacillation. If Chuck woke up, would she honor the words they had shared only moments before the crash? Or would she honor the promise she had made to Louis by accepting his proposal of marriage, and the promise made by her body to bare his child, the heir to the throne of Monaco? Just when it seemed as if Chuck might be lost, when the prognosis was as bleak as it could get, she had made a promise to God; if He would spare Chuck, and spare her the pain of losing him forever, the pain of facing a life without him in it entirely, she would fulfill her obligations to Louis, her unborn child, and what was soon to be her country. Chuck woke up the next day. Blair banished from her mind any thought of them reconciling.

"I actually have seen Chuck a few times and he seems to be doing a lot better, physically. Who knows where he's at otherwise. He has been his usual creepy self, though."

"Did he happen to mention if he was coming?" Blair's expression turned suddenly serious.

"He said he hadn't made up his mind," said Serena, biting her lower lip. "But hey, when I left him on New Years he was chatting up Lydia Hearst?"

Blair's face dropped. "_Lydia Hearst_?" She rolled her eyes. "Anyway," she said while smoothing her hair. "How was New Years? You went to _The Spectator_ party, right? Did you go with Humphrey?"

Serena was silent for a moment. "Yeah, I went with Dan."

"Why do I get the feeling that something untoward happened?"

"Don't worry about it. Maybe I will tell you on Thursday when I get there. I haven't decided how I feel or want to do about it yet, and I especially don't want to stress you out so close to your wedding day," she forced a smile.

Blair pursed her lip. "When are you coming, exactly?"

"I'll be there around three or four in the afternoon."

"Are you coming in with Rufus and your mother? And Erik?"

"No. They're flying in on Friday, I think."

"And what about Elvira?" Blair's upper-lip curled with disdain.

Serena laughed. "Jenny is going to fly in the day of."

"I'll be sure to tell the chef to put extra garlic in her entrée. Do you know when Dan plans on coming? Or Nate?"

"Something tells me they'll be flying in together." It was Serena's turn to purse her lip. "I can't wait to see you, B. I really wish I were there already, I could use my best friend right now."

XOXO

Dan Humphrey was having a hard time. He surveyed the mess in front of him with weary eyes, a haphazard pile of plaid shirts and other sartorial refuse laid before him. He had absolutely no idea what to pack. The next evening he would be Monaco bound with Nate on a private jet that Chuck had chartered. His efforts to pack were in no way helped by how packed his brain was with anxieties. Serena had not returned any of his calls in the past few days, which left him feeling guilty and a little confused. Yes, it had been rude of him to disappear on her like that, but it's not like she knew that he was elsewhere kissing Nate. Nate. That left him with a whole different set of anxieties, though of a different tenor. Since New Years he had tried to keep his thoughts of Nate strictly physical, in an effort to not brush upon the obvious emotional questions that accompanied whatever it was that was going on between them. It was enough having to deal with the emotional ebb and flow that accompanied the fact that Blair was getting married, on top of his quasi-relationship with Serena - adding Nate-related emotions to the equation was just too daunting.

"I can't figure out what one even packs for a royal wedding," Dan said, scratching his head. He sat down on one of his suitcases, transfixed by the plaid explosion in front of him.

"Well, we're being fitted for our tuxes there. So, normal stuff, I guess," Nate offered. He was on Dan's bed, flipping idly through an old issue of _Vanity Fair_. "Whatever you don't bring, I'm sure you can buy there. It's not like we're going to Namibia." Nate peered over the magazine to look at Dan, whose brow was knit with frustration. He placed down the magazine, got up and walked over to Dan, stood behind him and began massaging his shoulders. "Relax. It's not that big of a deal."

Dan exhaled deeply and tried to relax under Nate's touch. He and Nate hadn't kissed again since that night, but they had been more physically intimate with each other than before. Cuddling, hugging, at times even hand holding. He felt safe with Nate. There was no pressure. Nate had spent the ensuing nights at the loft, always on the couch. They had developed a routine; Dan would retire to his room for the night and at some point just before sunrise he would wake up, go out to the couch, and slip in next to Nate. Nate would wrap his arms around him, even swinging a leg over his side possessively.

"I know, it's just, aaah!" Dan shouted.

"Here, why don't I pack for you and you go draw yourself a bath and try to calm down. You're stressing me out, man!" Nate slipped his hands under Dan's arms and pulled him to his feet. "I've got this, don't worry," he smiled.

"Alright, alright," Dan pulled off his shirt and turned to go to the bathroom, but not before Nate slapped him on the ass. On his way to the bathroom he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Digging it out he saw he had an email, from Blair.

_Humphrey, whatever it is you did to Serena, FIX IT. I cannot have her moping on my wedding day. I will be getting enough of that from Chuck. Thank you in advance. _

_PS: I swear if you show up still donning a Fry Kid on your head, I'm going to go Bridezilla on you. Don't test me. _

PART 2

Chuck Bass had never been so scared in his entire life, and there was really only one way he could think of dealing with it. Sitting at the kitchen island, he takes a Xanax out of the bottle, places it under his Amex (black, of course), and crushes it using his phone. He cuts the resulting powder into lines, rolls up a fresh hundred dollar bill, and snorts them up. He throws his head back, squeezing his nose between his index finger and thumb while inhaling sharply a few times. He then downs the remains of his glass of scotch. _This will do the trick_, he thinks to himself. Getting up from the stool in the kitchen, he makes his way to his bedroom. In a habit-driven trance, he turns out the overhead light, turns on a lamp, and opens the third drawer on his dresser. Reaching inside he pulls out a box and sits on the edge of his bed. Looking into the mirror that reflects he and his bed back at him, he undoes the first few buttons of his shirt and sighs deeply. Opening the box he examines its contents ones by one; a red headband with a flouncy bow, a pair of handcuffs, a garter, and a receipt for a certain Erikson Beaman diamond necklace. Going out onto the balcony attached to his room, Chuck dumps the contents of the box into a metal garbage pail. He grabs for a bottle of kerosene sitting on the balcony's edge and hesitates for a moment before pouring a healthy amount into the garbage can. Next he grabs the light and a single cigarette from the ledge, lights it, and inhales deeply. He takes one more drag before dropping the cigarette into the garbage pail, watching the flames ignite and lick at the night air. As smoke billows into the sky, Chuck Bass goes back inside, closes the door and draws the curtain.

_**Spotted: Chuck Bass setting fire to the pain. When it comes to getting over the past, the best policy is always out of sight, out of mind, and up in smoke. We hope that new leaf Chuck has recently turned over**_ _**doesn't get singed in the flames, for everyone's sake. For we all know that Hell hath no fury like Chuck Bass burned. But we wouldn't count on it; on the Upper East Side the only things that die harder than the old habits are iron-clad pre-nups. As far as Chuck is concerned, three syllables and eight letters can only spell out one thing going forward: Disaster.**_

XOXO

Georgina Sparks was about to take things into her own hands. She had waited and waited and waited for an invitation to Blair's wedding and one never came. They weren't the best of friends, certainly, but petty differences were always put aside for life's big events, like weddings, funerals, and Fashion Week after parties. This egregious oversight of their friendship was not to be tolerated. Also not to be tolerated? The fact that Dan Humphrey had conveniently glazed over her influence on his life with _Inside_. After all, he was the father of her child for a few months! Georgina Sparks was not to be ignored, and baby Milo was not to be put in a corner. So it was no wonder that Georgina was smiling proudly to herself as she tried on her robe. She would be at the wedding, and in the last place anyone would expect, the choir. She smoothed her hair as she considered the myriad of ways in which she could make her displeasure known on the big day. She sang _Rain On Your Parade _to herself softly as she admired her handiwork. It's amazing the things one can do with a little research, ingenuity, and an international network of friends.

XOXO

Serena van der Woodsen woke with a start. What time was it? She frantically looked for her phone amid the hills and valleys of her duvet, though she had a sinking feeling that she already knew the answer: too late. Her suspicions were confirmed once she found it. 12:00 PM. Her flight was at 1PM. There was no way she was going to throw herself together and get to the airport in time. She cursed herself silently and threw herself back on the bed.

She'd had a lot of trouble sleeping recently, ever since catching Dan and Nate together at _The Spectator_ party. She would spend hours racking her brain, looking for clues, trying to answer the questions that lingered in her mind. How long had this been going on? For all she knew, she could have been made a fool of for years. Who else knew? Did anyone? Were they even gay? Dan certainly didn't seem gay the other night at the loft when she took him into her mouth while _Downton Abbey_ played in the background. He didn't seem gay when his fingers were inside of her, when he whispered sexy little nothings into her ear. Yet at the same time, Dan's being gay wasn't entirely out of the question. There was always something different about him. He adored her, maybe even worshipped her, his eyes were always full of love and yearning for her - but he never looked at her with the hunger that other men did. That was always part of what she loved about him, he didn't make her feel like fodder. He just made her feel like the most beautiful girl in the room. But Nate? She supposed that if she were to be completely honest with herself, Nate looked at _everyone_ like he was famished. Sort of like Chuck, except Chuck had that I'm-going-to-hunt-you-down-and-kill-you-before-I-devour-you-whole look that only a true creep could cultivate properly.

Her phone vibrated. She was afraid to look at it. She had been ignoring Dan's calls and texts for days. This served a two-fold purpose; it allowed for him to stew in his own juices, and she could give herself some time and space to figure out how she felt. Whenever she looked at that picture (and she had stared at it countless times), she was filled with the same ambivalence and confusion as to how to move forward. She had assumed, before that night, that her main competition for Dan's heart would be his feelings for Blair. And now Nate was in the mix. It seemed as though she was going to have to wage a war on two fronts. Serena didn't like losing, especially when it came to boys. Sighing, she looked at her phone. A missed call from Dan. Sitting up in bed, she dialed his number.

"Uh, hey," Dan sounded like he was laughing. Serena's lip twitched.

"Hey, sorry for not getting back to you for the past few days, I've been so busy trying to get everything together for the wedding and updating my blog," she said. That wasn't a total lie, she _had_ fallen asleep with her laptop.

"A-are you feeling better?" Dan sounded mildly out of breath. _Eew_, she thought. Nate was probably doing that thing he used to do to her ear.

"What? Oh, yeah. My stomach was really bothering me the other night. Too much champagne I guess. What are you up to?" _This is so awkward._

"N-" Serena heard a thud on the other side of the phone and the sound of Nate's gravely laugh. She raised an eyebrow. "Nothing! Packing. I'm packing. When is your flight?"

"Ugh, I fell asleep last night without setting an alarm and now I'm going to miss it. It _was_ supposed to be at one. Which is in," she checked the phone, "thirty-five minutes. So that's not happening."

"Well, why don't we get dinner and you can come with us? Chuck chartered a jet."

Trapped with Dan and Nate…and Chuck, for nine hours with nowhere to run. Perfect. "Perfect," she made sure to sound more excited than she actually was

"Ok, so why don't we meet at _The Spotted Pig_ -" Serena could hear a very clear _I HATE IT THERE_, in the background. Before Serena could respond Dan continued. "So, apparently Nate got sick the last time he ate there, so why don't we just meet at Chuck's at 7 - bring your luggage, and go to Abe & Arthur's at 8? Our flight leaves tonight at 11."

Serena noticed that she was clenching a fist full of her duvet. "That sounds great, I'll see you then." She hung up without even saying goodbye. She didn't know whether to scream or cry.

XOXO

PART III

Nate Archibald knew he needed to make a preemptive strike. The days following New Years were equal parts amazing and frustrating as all hell. He'd been spending the nights at Dan's, and he'd been trying his hardest to not get too handsy or be too aggressive with him. He didn't want to scare Dan away. It actually reminded him a lot of the beginning of his relationship with Blair. Time had shown that Dan and Blair actually had a lot in common, and one of those things was definitely their ability to shirk Nate's advances. They hadn't even kissed since that night, but Nate made sure to take any opportunity he could to touch Dan; to come up behind him and hold him while he did the dishes, cuddle him while watching movies, hold his hand until just the last moment when they were about to leave the apartment building - he'd even resorted to playing footsy when they'd gone out to eat. Dan was receptive to all of this, that was for sure, but whenever the atmosphere got too heavy, whenever Nate had gazed into his eyes for that second too long, something would snatch Dan's attention suddenly.

He had a feeling that the next few days, with everyone together for Blair's wedding and the subsequent emotions accompanying it, were going to be crucial for whatever was brewing between Dan and himself. Nate had no problem landing the girl, or the guy as the case seemed to be, but it would seem as though his trouble was in maintaining - somewhere along the line he'd fumble and the game was over. It was starting to affect his self-esteem, and he didn't like that. So it was no surprise that he found himself wanting to up the ante that afternoon as they got ready to bring their luggage to _The Empire_.

Nate watched Dan pace back and forth, and back and forth. "Dude, calm down. We've got everything. All's that's left to do is lock the door on our way out." Dan stopped and stared at him sighing. "C'mere," Nate grinned. Dan walked over to the couch and went to sit next to him, but Nate had other ideas. He wrapped a hand around the other boy's waist and dragged him over. Dan fell into his lap. Nate had an arm wrapped around his back, and another hand settled on his thigh. "Do you always get so stressed out about traveling, or?"

Dan's lips parted, but he didn't answer. He fiddled with Nate's fingers. Nate had such pretty fingers. Part of him felt bad. He'd thoroughly enjoyed Nate's company over the past couple of days and he hadn't been the best at showing it. Nate's hand cupped Dan's cheek, his thumb stroking in small circles.

"What's up? You can tell me."

Dan had a habit of living in his head, which made everything infinitely more complicated. As he looked into Nate's eyes he remembered that, with him, there was very little to fear. "I'm just really…I don't know how I feel about anything anymore. There's just so much going on in my head. I've loved having you around," he rubbed Nate's shoulder. "But…"

Resignation flashed over Nate's face for a brief second. He felt like he was losing before things even began. "Serena."

Dan stared at him, he'd never seen Nate Archibald look defeated before and it kind of broke his heart. Was he reading too much into things or was Nate jealous? Did Nate have _feelings _for him? He laughed a little bit. Here he was trying not to explore his own feelings about the situation and Nate Archibald seemed to be in the throes of a crush.

"What?"

Dan shifted in Nate's lap. "You're jealous!"

Nate's brows knit together. "Yeah, right."

"Nate Archibald, you are jealous!"

"Okay! So I'm a little jealous. A little," he was grinning now. "Look, I don't know what's going on…"

"D-Do you…_like_ me?" Dan realized he sounded like a seventeen year old girl, but this was just too good.

"Define _like_," Nate snapped a little defensively. He startled himself. Something in his tone reminded him of Chuck. Something about this entire situation seemed eerily familiar. He hoped he'd remember to think about it later. He probably wouldn't.

Dan was smiling at this point. He was still in Nate's lap but he put a hand on Nate's shoulder to push himself back a little bit, incredulously. "You're kidding." He hadn't seen this one coming. Or had he?

Nate was blushing and silent.

"Sorry, I just didn't see this coming."

"And you think I did?"

Dan started laughing hysterically, so hysterically he fell off Nate's lap and onto the couch. Nate sat there looking half hurt, half amused.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's just -, " he burst out laughing again.

Nate went to stand up but Dan grabbed him by the back pocket and yanked him back down. Nate lost his balance and fell on top of him. The back of Nate's head was on Dan's chest. He was nearly scowling at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry! It's just…you probably don't remember this. That night, that night you were on acid? After I rescued you from that ill-intentioned pigeon, you kind of," Dan shifted so that he was sitting up, Nate's head resting now on his lower abdomen so he could look down into his eyes. "You kinda told me you had a crush on me. In not so many words."

"What? I did not!"

"I didn't think anything of it at the time! I mean, you did think pigeon was talking to you twenty minutes earlier, I wasn't exactly taking anything you were saying seriously. You were on the floor and I was on my bed reading something. You suddenly got up and climbed onto the bed and got closer to my face than I was really comfortable with at the time, and you said," he chuckled. "You said you'd always had an eye on me, and that you had a _feeling_ about me. And you said 'You're going to be very special. Very special. Special Dan Humphrey. I'll get you. You just watch.' And then you said something about Chuck always telling you to 'explore the avenues'! And it all just makes sense now."

Nate kind of wanted to die in that moment. If he could turn into a gelatinous metallic soup on the floor a la Alex Mack, he would. He would ooze right out of the room. "Why did you never tell me about this?"

"I thought you were talking out of your ass, Nate. Bros don't usually regale bros with tales of the homoerotic proclamations that went down the previous night. It's against guy code or something like that, I wouldn't know. Until you, there was…Vanessa. And the only codes we shared were Netflix passwords."

Nate was still blushing and sounded a little self-conscious when he said, "Touche."

"Don't be embarrassed. It's not exactly like I haven't, erm, snuck a peak in the locker room before," he ran a hand through Nate's hair. Dan looked Nate in the eye. They were wearing matching amounts of blush at this point.

"Oh, yeah?"

"I'd be lying if I said no, so…" Dan grinned.

Nate held Dan's gaze and it was as though an internal clock was ticking down; in approximately one more second, Dan was going to either look away or be suddenly distracted by something stupid like the fact that he needed to water a plant, and Nate was not about to let this opportunity slip through his fingers like all the rest. Placing a hand on the back of Dan's neck, he brought their lips together, softly at first, almost the whisper of a kiss. He was surprised that Dan was so quick to press their lips together with more intensity, his long delicate fingers tracing over Nate's face.

As Dan moaned into the kiss and broke away to expose his neck, Nate couldn't help but realize that, if he didn't play his cards right, this may be the last time they were together like this. Unscathed.


	4. Chapter 4: Fly Hard With a Vengeance

CHAPTER 4: Fly Hard With A Vengeance

PART 1

Chuck Bass was no stranger to tense situations. In fact, his life seemed to be a series of them. But the atmosphere in the jet that evening was suffocating. It was amusing at first, watching Humphrey be the ball in an intensely transparent match of tug-of-war. Dinner had been full of long awkward pauses, silences that Chuck had absolutely no interest in breaking. At one point things even devolved into a match of Who-Knows-Humphrey-Best. Chuck had always thought Dan was terribly plebian, but if there were any shadow of doubt, that particular round of volleys had confirmed his suspicions. He wasn't quite sure why Nate or Serena knew that Dan learned to swim at Coney Island Beach, or that he had once attended space camp - these were tidbits of information that he himself would have conveniently forgot to mention to anyone. The only things keeping him from getting up, unlatching the door, and sending everyone plunging to their death somewhere over the Atlantic were the buxom stewardess, the xanax he had blown before the flight, and the hope that things would soon come to a head between the three lesser mortals sharing the cabin with him.

Sipping his scotch and closing his eyes, Chuck made sure to be mindful of the mindless prattling on going on across the aisle. Somewhere between twenty and thirty thousand feet, "This Is Your Life: Daniel Humphrey Edition" had turned into a trip down memory lane.

"I honestly don't know how I functioned in school sometimes I was so high." Nate laughed, running a hand through his hair. He was seated across a small table, on the other side were Dan and Serena, Dan sitting directly across from him. Chuck lay reclined on a small sofa to their right across the aisle. "It was like a silent competition between Chuck and I; who could get the highest and make it through the day. Chuck was always higher, _and_ got better grades. I don't get it."

"What is there not to get Nathaniel? I'm…" Chuck chirped from the sofa, his eyes still closed.

"Chuck Bass…" sang the quartet. Six of the eight eyes in the cabin found themselves rolling to the ceiling. Chuck just raised his glass.

"Oh my god, do you remember that time we got high before that whole swimming pool fiasco? To be honest, I still don't know how I got through that meeting with Headmistress Queller with a straight face." Serena laughed, her fingers idly playing with the ends of her ponytail.

"You were high that day?" A grimace flashed across Dan's face. He was a bit out of his league in this particular conversation. The only thing he got high on while attending St. Jude's was the smell of Serena's conditioner, and whatever it was Chuck gave him that night they found themselves thrown in jail. But he had come to the conclusion long ago that they were probably just baby aspirin and he had essentially made an ass of himself for no reason. But what else was new? That aside, the whole swimming pool incident was a pretty serious deal for him. He could remember feeling like Serena was being a little flippant about it but this new information changed the very hue of those memories.

Across the aisle, his interest piqued by impending discord, Chuck opened an eye slightly.

Serena flashed her guilty face. "In my defense, I was really stressed out. Mainly because you were really stressed out, but I was really stressed out!" She placed a hand on his shoulder. Dan nudged it away by reaching for his drink.

Across the aisle, with a growing sense of enjoyment after long last, Chuck grinned to himself.

"When else were you high?" Dan questioned, sounding a little more upset than he had intended to sound.

"Well -"

Across the aisle, sensing his moment, Chuck Bass decided it was time to set things in motion. "When wasn't she high would be a more interesting question, Humphrey." At this point Chuck looked like the cat that got the cream.

"Chuck! You're making me sound like, well, you."

"Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart."

Serena rolled her eyes. "I don't know Dan, I guess I got as high as anyone else? A lot less after I met you. You weren't able to tell? You're acting like we didn't all smoke a joint on the way over here."

A _touche_ came from the couch.

"And it's not like I was doing coke in the bathroom like Penelope."

Nate chuckled at that.

Dan shut his eyes tight and shook his head quickly, incredulously. "What? Was I blind? All of this was going on in front of me and I had no idea."

"You were focused." Nate offered.

"Self-absorbed." Chuck chimed.

"You were innocent." Serena consoled.

"Self-righteous." Chuck's eyes remained closed. He kicked off a velvet slipper which made a thud on the cabin floor.

Dan's head snapped in Chuck's direction, his brow furrowed.

"Don't worry, Humphrey, as far as I know, Serena has always been an herbal girl. You know, to match the whole unbrushed look."

It was Serena's turn to scowl in Chuck's direction. She ran a hand through her hair looking a little dejected.

"And besides, I'm pretty sure Nathaniel and I scared her off of anything heavier that time we dropped too much acid."

Dan shot Nate a look and the two started laughing. They were wearing matching shades of rouge at this point.

Serena was laughing too until she got the feeling that she was missing something. "Wait, was that the same night with you and the pigeon?" But it was like no one heard her. Dan and Nate's eyes were bouncing around the other's faces, smirking like they had something to hide.

Chuck heard something loud and clear in that silence. He opened his eyes and sat up. There was a knock from under the table. Then he saw the color drain from Serena's face. She flushed and in one fluid motion pulled the ribbon from her hair, blonde waves falling into her face, grabbed her bag, and murmured a soft but almost cheery sounding "Nature calls," before sashaying to the bathroom, her eyes fixed to the ground. The classic Serena escape maneuver if Chuck had ever seen it.

"The door sticks.." Chuck said, also to no one, as he got up to follow Serena to the bathroom. As he slipped passed the burgundy curtains that separated the cabin from the bathroom/kitchenette area he thought better of himself. He paused, turned around, and peered through them.

"Shit." Nate spat.

"What?"

"I rubbed her leg."

"You what? Why? Why would you do that?" Dan looked injured.

"Not on purpose, Dan. I was trying to rub you." Nate was mortified but couldn't help but smile. "Look who's jealous now."

"Fuck!" Dan got up and rushed toward the curtains.

Chuck emerged calmly. "I really need to remember to have someone look at that door."

"What? Excuse me." Dan slid past him.

XOXO

Serena stared at her reflection in the mirror, steadying herself on the sink. Was it the weed making her paranoid or did Nate rub her leg with his foot? Was he rubbing _her_ or was he intending on rubbing _Dan_? The fact that she lived in a world where she had to even question this made her sick. She pulled her lipstick from her bag and began to apply it. There was no way that she was going to lose her man to a _man_. Even if the man was almost as pretty as she was. That last bit made her smirk. But honestly, this was _Dan_, the same boy who had been in love with her before she even knew he existed. And as pretty as Nate was, he wasn't, well, her. It wasn't very often that she thought of herself in these terms but every now and again she had to admit to herself that she was kind of fucking legendary.

"Get it together." She said to herself in the mirror, fixing her hair back up. "How could you lose to Nate? You can't. You are fucking -"

"Serena?" Dan knocked at the door.

XOXO

"I have to admit Nathaniel, this is a match up that I never thought I would see."

"What?" Nate's eyes raised from his glass, his fingers tracing its rim.

"You and Serena fighting over a man. _Humphrey_, of all men." He took the unoccupied seat next to Nate.

"I rubbed her leg!" Nate bared his teeth and raised his eyebrows in an _I-just-made-a-booboo _face.

"Are you trying to…" Chuck raised his brow and smirked.

"No, dude. I was meaning to rub Dan." Nate's voice hushed for the last part.

"Ah, I see. And Dan went to…?"

"Pee? I dunno."

"Bless your heart, Nathaniel." Chuck said half to himself, half to his glass of scotch.

And finally, it was Nate who threw Chuck a look.

XOXO

"Come in!" Serena gave her hair a good fluffing before Dan stepped into the bathroom.

"I, uh.." Dan ran a hand through his hair, looking at the ground.

"You know what I just realized?" Serena questioned, placing her hands on Dan's shoulders.

Dan looked at her hand pointedly and then back up at her. "What's that?"

"We're in a private jet, this bathroom is huge, and I haven't seen you in days…"

Dan might have protested if his mouth weren't already full with Serena's tongue.

_**Spotted: Lonely Boy joining the mile high club in high style aboard the Bass Industries jet. Why is it that S is the only one getting an in-flight snack? Poor Golden Boy. Will he ever learn? If history, or more accurately, I, have taught you all anything it's that S will always steal your man, and Lonely Boy never stays lonely for long. For those two, all roads lead to moan.**_

PART II

Blair Waldorf stepped slowly out from behind the heavily gilded doors of the dressing room in her royal apartment, waves of ivory of tulle cascading down from a tight bodice embroidered with pearls at the sweetheart neckline. She had worked for months with Vera Wang to achieve the right pitch between princess and powerful modern woman. _Too much volume in the skirt, I look like a cupcake - from a bakery in Brooklyn. More volume in the skirt, I'm the bride, not a bridesmaid. Swarovski crystals are still rhinestones, I don't care what you say. Empire waist? Do I look like Sarah Ferguson? Excuse me, are these pearls…cultured? _It had been an exhausting process but after months of swatting seamstresses and degrading designers she had finally achieved perfection. She was beaming.

"You look stunning!" squealed Isabelle.

"Absolutely beautiful!" cooed Connie.

"Like a dream!" offered Jessica.

"You can hardly tell how much weight you've gained!" snickered Penelope while admiring her nails. Connie audibly gasped.

Blair rolled her eyes and exhaled calmly before noticing that someone's opinion was missing. She raised her eyebrows and looked to her bed where Nelly Yuki was sitting amid an ocean of flash cards. Blair cleared her throat loudly.

Nelly looked up from her flashcards, a somewhat haggard look about her. "Sorry, finals."

"Finals at _Yale_ must be killer…" Penelope grinned to herself, shooting Blair a look.

"Penelope, I need a huge favor." Blair smiled sweetly at her.

"Yes?"

"Go stand outside. And wait there…until I'm in a mood to put up with your insolence." 

"What?"

"Au revoir!" She waved and raised her eyebrows at Dorota who opened the door and stood aside to let a rather wounded looking Penelope exit. Penelope turned around to say something but Blair flicked her wrist at Dorota who then closed the door in Penelope's face.

Blair took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "Much better." She held out her hand to Dorota and gestured a "gimme" motion. Dorota fished through Blair's bag and handed her her phone. "Now, who wants to take a picture of me to send to Serena?" Blair looked at her phone and her face dropped; a Gossip Girl blast.

_**Spotted: What's black, white, and bad all over? No, not the new Marc Jacobs platforms. We're talking about Georgina Sparks dress shopping in Monte Carlo. Did B invite G to the wedding, or is G planning a drive-by? If we know G, and you know we do, we're guessing her sentiments are leaning more drive-by than by-gones. **_

Blair grimaced to herself. "Great."

XOXO

Dan Humphrey felt like he was going to be sick. He watched as Serena reapplied her lipstick in the mirror with what he thought looked like a triumphant look in her eye as he buttoned up his shirt. But it couldn't be, to look triumphant she would have had to known there was an adversary, and she couldn't have known that. Could she? Not from Nate playing footsie with her. Though of course he didn't really know exactly what Nate did to Serena. Was it a playful rub? A lustful linger? Did she suspect anything? Was she upset? She certainly didn't look upset at that moment as she pulled her skirt back into place and did that thing with her hair where she messes it up on purpose. _Blair never does that_, he found himself thinking._ Oh God, Humphrey, shut up. Get it together! Wait, did I just refer to myself as Humphrey? Do I do that often? Jesus, I've spent far too much time with these people. Why do I even care what Serena thinks, or suspects, huh? We're not _dating_, we're just…_

"Are you ok?" Serena cocked an eyebrow at Dan in the mirror. He had stopped buttoning up halfway through and was just staring into space, motionless.

"Yeah, yeah! Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm great. That was great. We're cool. I mean, I'm cool. You know, I've just gotta use the bathroom, so, uh, if you could - yeah."

"O..kay…? Serena offered with a confused grin as her bag clicked shut. She went to leave the bathroom before turning around, her hand still on the door. "I love you."

Dan's mouth hung open as he met Serena's eyes in the mirror. "I, uh…love you too." He offered her a toothless grin as she closed the door. _God damn it, Humphrey!_ he thought to himself. "God damn it!" he hissed out loud, and winced for having referred to himself as Humphrey again. He braced himself against the sink, his head hanging low, when he heard the door. Looking up he was startled to meet Chuck's eyes.

"It seems that you've gotten yourself into a little…situation." Chuck was eyeing him in the mirror.

"You know, Chuck, right now is really not a good time. I think I'm on the verge of a panic attack."

"Weakling." Chuck whispered to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Ok…"

"Your buttons are done up wrong."

Dan looked down to see his shirt looked like he got dressed in the dark. He began to unbutton it.

"Whoa there, Brooklyn - your outer-borough mystique may have worked on Serena and Nathaniel…"

"What are you talking about?" Dan continued to undo his shirt.

"I'm saying I've already done the whole fooling-around-with-a-guy-in-an-airplane-bathroom thing and really, Humphrey, you're no Efron."

Dan's face contorted as he buttoned up his shirt. "Who said anything about - wait, what? You've fooled around with Zac Efron in an airplane bathroom?"

Chuck smirked at Dan in the mirror. "I'm Ch-"

"GET OUT!" Dan was sure the entire airplane heard that particular outburst.

"Right. But before I go I wanted to give you a heads up. We could hear everything, Nathaniel and I. And as much as I _loved_ hearing Serena hit those high notes, good job by the way, they sounded genuine, I don't think Nathaniel was as entertained."

The color retreated from Dan's face almost completely. He felt like he was going to hurl. And he did, into the sink.

Chuck's eyes lowered to the sink, his face emotionless. "Anyway, I wanted to give you this," he pulled a small blue pill from his pajama pocket. "It will calm your…everything." He placed it on the sink. "Oh, and Dan?"

Dan looked up at Chuck as he rinsed out his mouth.

"Your buttons are done up wrong." He smirked as he adjusted the color on his purple silk nightshirt, shaking his head at Dan. "Stay classy, Brooklyn."

As the door shut, Dan splashed some water on his face.

"Zac Efron? _Really?_" He made another attempt to fix up his shirt.

XOXO

Nate Archibald had to consciously fight the urge to growl as Serena sauntered back into the cabin of the Bass Industries jet. There was a time when seeing that storied sashay, that confident swagger, would have inspired an entirely different type of growl within him, he would have wanted to tackle her for an entirely different reason. But at that moment, all he wanted to do was run. Run from her. Run from Dan. Run from Chuck. Of course, one of the few times Nate Archibald wanted to curl into a ball and cry he was trapped. He could remember having this urge twice before, both having to do with Serena; when he had found out, soon after they had made love on the bar at the Shepherd wedding, that she had fled the isle of Manhattan, and when she had returned. He was so full of hope, so ready to take a blind leap, and then she spoke those words to him, the words that made him wince to that very day. _I didn't come back for you._

"You're back!" Nate forced a smile.

"Chuck should really have that door fixed, it sticks." Serena smiled as she sat across from him.

"Right." Nate's eye narrowed almost imperceptibly as he raised his glass to his lips.

"Yep." Anyone who didn't know Serena wouldn't have been able to spot how she pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows challengingly, as if to say _Checkmate._

No further words were exchanged, and they didn't need to be. They knew each other well enough to know what that exchange of glances had meant. Somewhere over the Atlantic, late at night, fifty thousand feet in the air, Nate Archibald and Serena van der Woodsen declared war.

_**Spotted: What do I spy with my little eye? S and N in a stare down. We're going to guess that it's been a few hundred years since a war came to the shimmering shores of the island nation of Monaco. Place your bets ladies and gentleman, after all Monte Carlo is a gambler's paradise, and we've got a feeling that with the stakes so high this round of roulette will end in blood. Any takers? As usual, I'm all in. You know you love me, xoxo, Gossip Girl**_


	5. Chapter 5: The Princess & The Peeved

_A/N: HELLO EVERYONE! I have not died. I know it's been forever. But, you're in for a treat - a triple feature! THREE new chapters! I wanted to publish them before GG comes back on the eight, give you guys something to chew over. I'll try to get some more out soon, but my beta moves at a snails pace. Anyone want to volunteer? Anyway, without further ado, may I present to you: The Princess & The Peeved, and Twilight In The Garden of Good & Evil Part I and Part II_

**CHAPTER 5: The Princess & The Peeved**

**SPOTTED**:**_ Good morning Upper East Siders, how do you take your breakfast? A bagel with a schmear on the run? Maybe pancakes with a side of sausage? Or maybe you're like me and like to start your day off with a full portion of discord and a steaming black coffee. However you start the most important meal of the day, you're sure to enjoy this dish - with tensions rising between S and N, it seems as though Queen B's royal brunch may turn out to be a royal flop. The only toasts happening in this room are the brioches. Why so silent, guys?_**

Blair Waldorf was no fool. _Something_ had happened in New York._ Something_ had happened on the flight to Europe. Something was seriously amiss, as evidenced by the heavy silence that had settled and refused to budge at the table that morning. She and Louis were hosting a brunch for Blair's out of town friends; an amazing spread of everything from crepes to coq monsieur, and all in one of the stateliest and well-appointed rooms in the palace. There was plenty to eat and drink, but merriment was currently hard to come by. She grinned to Louis as she moved some food around her plate, adding to the only sound in the room - the clinking of knives and forks.

"How was everyone's flight?" Louis asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Fine," Serena snapped.

"Long," Nate said to his plate.

"Well…" Dan began.

"I had a _great_ flight." Chuck said upon entering the room. "Sorry I'm late, there was some business I had to deal with at The Empire." A footman pulled out Chuck's chair and he took a seat opposite Connie. "What have I missed?"

"Nothing., Blair said, not meeting Chuck's eyes. "Nelly, what is it you said you were majoring in again?"

"Chemistry."

"I was going to major in chemistry," Penelope smiled.

"Penelope, come off it, the only chemistry you know anything about is ," Blair snapped.

Penelope's jaw dropped. "Who told you about that?!"

Dan stifled a laugh.

"Blair…" Louis shot Blair a look from the opposite end of the table.

"What?"

"Don't laugh at her," Nate allowed his glare to settle on Dan for the first time since they got off the plane.

"Thank you, Nate," Penelope shifted in her seat.

"Nate, how are things going at_ The Spectator_?" Louis asked, trying to change the subject.

"Pretty well. Money's kind of tight though, we're going to have to make some changes. You know, streamline." Nate's gaze shifted to Serena. "Some features aren't doing as well as we'd hoped."

Serena placed down her fork. "And what's that supposed to mean? My blog brings record numbers to the site!"

"I wasn't referring to_ S by S_, but if we're going to go there, I'm not quite sure that a blog chronicling your search for the perfect espadrilles meets the caliber of journali-"

"_Caliber of journalism_? What caliber of journalism?_ The Spectator_ is a rag!"

Nate's cheeks flushed, his hand forming a tight fist around his fork. "Well, you know what Serena? If you think_ The Spectator_ is such a rag, I don't see any reason why you should be working there. You're fired."

Serena raised her eyebrows incredulously, her head tipping to the side slightly. "Fine." She gathered up the napkin from her lap and threw it upon her half-eaten plate.

"Enough!" Blair shouted. What the hell did these people think they were doing, ruining what was supposed to be a brunch all about _her_ for once. How was it that Serena_ always_ managed to do this?

"You're right, Blair. I've had enough." Pushing her seat away from the table, Serena got up and stormed out of the room.

"I'm sorry, Blair," Nate apologized before getting up and leaving himself.

Without a word, Dan got up and followed soon after.

Blair didn't know whether it was out of habit, instinct, or something else that caused her to look at Chuck for help rather than Louis, in that moment but she did know that it hurt more than it should have when his eyes were elsewhere. She was angry and confused and her eyes were welling up with tears. As she got up to leave she was somewhat calmed by the fact that all of her minions made a show of getting up along with her, but she wanted to be alone. She scurried out of the door before anyone was able to follow her.

"My apologies, excuse me." It was Louis who was next to leave, but not before a courteous bow of his head to the few remaining guests.

Connie, Isabelle, Penelope, Jessica, and Nelly exchanged a series of confused looks, frozen in place.

"Cheers," Chuck lifted his glass and took a sip, but there was nothing cheery about the look in his eye that morning.

XOXO

Blair Waldorf was seething as she stomped down a hallway of the palace, eyes pealed for any clue of Serena. She eventually found her in an antechamber not too far from the dining room, her legs crossed, one kicking agitatedly. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU?" Blair shouted. "THIS ENTIRE WEEKEND IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT ME! _MEEEEEE_! I'm getting _married_! To a prince! What could _possibly_ encourage you to act like this? I would have expected this kind of stunt from that incorrigible _Bass_hat, but from you?"

"Blair..." Serena began.

"No. You know, what? I should have expected this. You _always_ do this!"

Serena stood up and took Blair's hands in hers. "B…" Her eyes searched Blair's for a few seconds before a tear ran down her cheek.

Blair's face softened. Something was seriously wrong. "What's wrong, S?"

XOXO

Nate Archibald felt a little out of control. He had his head buried under a pillow in the suite he was sharing with Chuck and Dan, fighting the urge to scream. He was angry. He felt betrayed, though he wasn't sure by whom. He hated fighting. He regretted firing Serena like that but he had no one else to strike at. He was sure at this point that Serena knew _something_ about he and Dan, but he couldn't figure out how. He highly doubted that Dan would say anything. But the look Serena gave him after she had done whatever it is she had done with Dan in the bathroom on the plane, her cool silence as they sat there together, he was sure then that she viewed him as an enemy. And he was so mad at Dan, though he knew logically he had no reason to be. Dan was with Serena before any of this started. He technically had no claims over Dan, but he wanted to. He was realizing that he wanted all claims to Dan, all parts of him, and that scared him. He was still wallowing in this emotional soup when there was a knock on the door. He didn't say a word, maybe whoever it was would go away.

"Nate?" It was Dan. Nate's stomach did that thing it seemed to only do for him. He remained silent, considering his options.

"Nate, I know you're in there. Your cuff-link must have fallen off, I found it in the hallway."

Nate raised his arm and looked at this wrist. _Christ_. He got up and answered the door. Dan was standing there looking guilty, and beautiful, and Nate tried his best to hold onto his anger. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to see if you were okay…"

"Why?"

"You're upset. You just fired Serena at brunch in front of everyone."

"Yeah, I feel kinda bad about that. How is she?"

"I don't know. I knew that I maybe should have gone looking for her…" Dan looked down for a second before looking back up at Nate. "But I came for you."

XOXO

Serena van der Woodsen felt like she was going to lose it. Sitting on a chaise with Blair, she wasn't quite sure how to proceed. She needed to explain to Blair why everyone was in such a funk, but she hadn't even decided if she wanted to tell _anyone_ about Dan and Nate. Once she spoke it out loud it was real. Once she spoke it out loud there was no telling what would happen. Once she spoke it out loud there was no taking it back. Blair wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Come on, S, you can tell me, whatever it is."

"That's the thing, B, I don't know if I can. Well, I know I can, but I don't know if I should."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not any worse than the time that you told us that you killed someone." Blair laughed a little bit. She was glad when Serena smiled.

"Well, this involves a lot more people than just me. And in a way, if I say something, there will be a death. Things will never be the same. For any of us."

"Ok, now you're scaring me. Who does it have to do with?"

Serena just stared at her.

"What did you do to Nate?"

Serena threw Blair a wounded look. "Why would you think it was me who did something to him?"

"Because Nathaniel Fitzwilliam Archibald is not exactly the type to strike unprovoked."

"Well, he did. I guess you don't know him as well as you thought. None of us do."

"Now we're getting somewhere." Blair grinned and squeezed Serena's hands. "You said that things won't be the same for any of us…does this involve Chuck?"

Serena paused. What if they were all in this together? Serena liked to think she was opened minded but she couldn't help but feel sick at the thought. "No. Surprisingly. At least I don't think so."

"Dan?"

Serena looked down to her lap.

"I knew it! I'll kill him. I told him to fix whatever it was he did to you before he got here or there would be hell to pay."

Serena went to speak but Blair cut her off.

"Did he get a haircut?"

"No?"

"Off with his head!" Blair shook her fist in the air. Serena laughed. "But really, what could Dan and Nate, two of the most innocuous people I know, could have done to make you so upset? Did you guys have a threesome and they spent most of the time together in a corner?" Blair found that one really funny, her laughter echoed down the hall.

Serena removed her hands from Blair's.

"Oh. My. God! Serena Celia van der Woodsen, you little tramp! You finally did it. You decided which one of them you wanted. _Both_ of them. At the same time. How did you even manage to convince them to do that? Rather, how did you convince Nate to do that? We all know _Humphrey_ has always been a little questionable - no offense…"

"Blair, I did not have a threesome with Nate and Dan…"

"Then what…" Blair's eyes widened and her hand shot to her chest, quite literally clutching her pearls. "You're not saying…you couldn't be saying…"

"I haven't _said_ anything."

"Which makes it all the more true! Oh my God!" Blair stood up and covered her eyes. "_Mon Dieu_!" She began to fan herself. "How do you know?"

Serena had to admit that the jig was up. Blair had reached this conclusion entirely on her own, and to be honest, she really did want to talk about it.

"Actually, before you say anything," Blair grabbed Serena's hand. "Let's go back to my room, there are eyes and ears everywhere!" She gestured wildly about the palace and dragged Serena down the hall.

**SPOTTED: ****_S, about to spill, and we don't mean out of her dress._**

XOXO

PART II:

Dan Humphrey spent a large portion of his life on anxiety's edge. He always found himself surrounded by beautiful but vicious creatures, like a Labrador in a cage full of hungry leopards. Half the time he didn't stand a chance. However, standing in front of Nate and seeing the look in his eye, the smile that beamed across his face after a simple_ I came for you_, had him feeling pretty good. He had learned to come to expect feeling so comfortable with Nate. Nathaniel Archibald of the swoopy hair. Something he'd never expected? The way Nate pulled him close and kissed him full on in the doorway for anyone to see, or Nate's hand pushing through his curls, or his other hand on the small of his back, or the way Nate's tongue pushed into his mouth.

"Say it again?" Nate asked as he broke away from Dan.

"What? I came for you?"

Nate smiled, kissed Dan, pulled him into the room and closed the door.

XOXO

Serena noticed the door to the boy's apartment shut ahead of them as Blair dragged her down the long hallway, their heels clicking on the marble. Blair was practically _skipping_, and Serena wondered if there would be any point in the conversation that was to follow where her feelings would take precedence over the fact that game-changing gossip had been uncovered. When they reached the room, Blair almost threw her inside and slammed the door behind herself.

"Dorota!" Blair shouted, but there was no answer. She bounced around the room looking for other members of her staff. She even peeked under the bed, earning herself a quizzical look from Serena, which she answered with a shrug that said 'One can never be too sure!' before sitting atop the bed and patting the space next to her. Serena kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the gigantic canopy bed. She and Blair were sitting face to face, legs crossed Indian style.

"Okay," Blair began, affecting some concern by speaking very slowly. "Start at the beginning. What exactly happened?" She took Serena's hand in her own.

"Well, it all started on New Year's…"

XOXO

Chuck Bass finally had a moment to himself. It had taken a good thirty minutes to rid himself of Blair's minions-in-waiting. He inhaled deeply on his cigarette as he took a turn around the palace gardens, stopping at the reflecting pool. Seeing Blair had been harder than he had previously anticipated, especially since he thought that burning those keepsakes had been an effective form exorcism. He hadn't seen her since the night of the accident and when he woke up it seemed that everything they had shared, all the promises and plans they'd made meant nothing. If Nate hadn't offered them his car earlier that night he wouldn't even be sure that the whole thing hadn't been some kind of coma induced dream. He ached in a way that he never had before and being in Monaco to celebrate Blair's nuptials was almost more than he could bear. His only solace was an almost entirely liquid diet; a cocktail of scotch, xanax, and zoloft usually blurred the edges to just the right degree.

"Chuck!" Louis's voice rang as he walked toward the reflecting pool.

Chuck stamped out his cigarette and cursed under his breath. "Louis," he bowed his head.

Louis smacked Chuck on the back and smiled. "Can you believe that we have finally made it here? The wedding is in two days! It is truly a miracle after all that's happened."

Chuck offered a tight-lipped smile. "Truly."

"I just wanted to thank you for coming. I know we have had our differences, but I know that you are one of Blair's closest friends. I'm sure she wouldn't tell you so out of respect for me, but I know she would be deeply saddened had you chose not to attend."

"Anything for Blair."

"Wonderful. I hope that we can become friends. I'm sorry for having been so jealous, I just love Blair so much and, to be honest, I was intimidated by the specter of your past with her," Louis paused to give Chuck a chance to speak and when he didn't he continued. "How are you holding up after the accident?" He asked as he and Chuck walked through the garden, pebbles crunching beneath their feet.

Chuck forced a smile. "You know, it's like nothing ever happened. Like it was a horrible dream."

"I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that," Louis patted Chuck on the back again with a smile.

XOXO

"And now I have no idea what to do," Serena pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and bit into a macaron.

Blair raised her hands to her head and rubbed her temples. "This is the most explosive piece of gossip I have heard since, well, _your_ tryst with Nate."

Serena coughed.

"Do you have any proof of this?"

"No," Serena knew that as long as she had the picture and no one else knew she had it, she held a very powerful bargaining chip - though she wasn't exactly sure what she even wanted to bargain for.

"Tsk, tsk. Sloppy work, S."

Serena bit her lower lip. "What should I do?"

"Well…" Blair paused to think. "If Nate were another girl, say, Penelope, I would suggest destroying her. But Nate's not a girl. And he's a friend, not a parasite. The problem is we have no idea how Dan even feels. Do you know how Dan feels?"

"Well, he told me he loved me after we had sex in the bathroom on Chuck's jet."

Blair closed her eyes in an attempt to compose herself. "First of all, eew. Second of all, I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO NATE! That explains this morning, Serena!" Blair leaned forward and bopped Serena on her forehead. "Sometimes I swear Lily dropped you on your pretty blonde little head when you were a baby." She exhaled with exasperation. "Ok, so we know how Nate feels about Dan. We need to find out how Dan feels about Nate. If they've…fallen for each other, I'm afraid there isn't much we can do. Other than divide and destroy. But it's _Nate_ and _Dan_. Vengeance is hardly ever sweet when exacted against those two. You come out on the other side with an empty victory, like playing canasta with your dementia stricken grandmother."

Serena cocked an eyebrow at that last part.

"What? I was fifteen. Nate and I had just had a huge fight, I needed to feel good about myself." Blair pouted.

"Oh, B, what am I gonna do?"

"Talk to him, S. We're all adults now. I'm getting married in two days and I have the heir to a throne in my womb - who coincidentally demands that I take eight some odd naps a day, the second of which I'm late for."

Serena placed a hand on Blair's stomach. "I'll let you get some rest. Thanks for letting me vent about this, I've been going crazy." She smiled at Blair and hopped off the bed, gathering her shoes from the floor.

"Maybe you should talk to him tonight. Princess Sophie has flown in Yo Yo Ma for the wedding and he is playing an intimate concert on the grounds this evening. Maybe you take Dan aside and have an adult conversation among the topiaries and blooming wisteria while the whimsical orchestral stylings of Yo Yo Ma waft in the air." Blair said loftily before laughing. "Dan won't be able to resist such a romantic atmosphere, you know him."

"I love you, B." Serena smiled while standing in the doorframe.

"Love you too, S."

XOXO

Georgina Sparks lowered her Tom Ford sunglasses down the bridge of her nose as her town car pulled up in front of St. Nicholas Cathedral, a smirk pulling at the corners of her pouty lips. By calling in a few favors she had secured herself a place in the choir that would be singing during Blair's ceremony. Stepping out of the town car she pulled at the hem of her tight red dress and adjusted her wide brimmed had as she strut up the stairs and into the massive structure. Snapping her sunglasses closed, her eyes surveyed the cathedral looking for the priest. She found him surrounded by a group of matronly-looking women with ill-fitting pants. She lifted her chin and marched right up to the group, edging the women aside and extending her hand to the priest.

"Father, I'm Georgina Sparks, I believe Father Somermeyer from St. Patrick's in New York referred me to you? I have a letter of introduction." Georgina smiled, ignoring the aghast looks of the women standing around her, and fished an envelope from her purse.

"I, uh, why yes, Miss Sparks, of course. Excuse me, ladies. Miss Sparks, come with me."

"Ladies," Georgina nodded to them as she threw a lock of hair over her shoulder and followed the priest to his office.

"Miss Sparks, do take a seat. I am Father Rochambeau," he said as he opened Georgina's letter of introduction, eyeing it with his bifocals. "So I see here that you've sang in the choir at St. Patrick's since you were a small girl?"

"Yes, I love crying out the name of the Lord, especially when I find myself filled with his, uh, word…for lack of a better metaphor," she smiled sweetly at him.

"Okay…"

"It would be an honor to sing in the choir of this beautiful, historic cathedral, especially during the wedding of Blair Waldorf. To stand there among her beloved friends and family on the most important day of her young life, so hopeful, so...vulnerable, and expectant; to use my gift to show them all the wrath of God would truly be a blessing."

"Wrath of God…?" Father Rochambeau looked a bit worried.

"Love! Love of God! God's love! God's infinite, boundless, unconditional love!" Georgina fetched a rosary from her bag and began to rub it, rocking back and forth slowly, her eyes shut tight. "Please God, allow Father Rochambeau to see how much of a blessing this would be for me," she whispered loud enough for him to hear.

Father Rochambeau stared at her for several long moments as Georgina rocked back and forth. "Okay. Be here tonight at seven for rehearsal, the ceremony takes place at 11AM on Thursday."

"Thank you, Father. You have no idea what this means to me!" Georgina suppressed the urge to squeal and got up calmly, shaking Father Rochambeau's hand.

As Georgina replaced the sunglasses to her face and strut past the poorly dressed church goers in practical footwear, a smile curled upon her lips as she recited to herself one of her favorite bible passages: It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.

**_SPOTTED: Georgina Sparks planning a surprise gift for B's big day. Something tells us 'revenge' wasn't on the royal registry._**

XOXO

Nate Archibald was never able to stay angry for long, and with Dan it was no different. He smiled as his fingers traced over Dan's high cheekbones. They were laying on Nate's bed, face to face, their legs intertwined and their shirts on the floor. If there had been any doubt as to Dan's feelings for him, Nate dared to think that Dan's arriving at his door was the answer he'd been looking for. Given the choice to come looking for him or Serena, Dan had chosen him, and though a part of him felt guilty, more of him felt great.

"What are we getting ourselves into?" Dan asked, half smiling.

"Shhhh…" Nate whispered before bringing their lips together again.

**_SPOTTED: Lonely Boy doing what he does best - asking too many questions. We all know Nate Archibald may be abundant in good looks and flush with cash, but words? When it comes to articulation, Golden Boy is about as wealthy Charlie Sheen is in morals. Yes, time may tell all tales, but Lonely Boy usually wants them read aloud to him while he takes notes. Will his curiosity get Nate to open up, or will it land this budding relationship as dead as the proverbial cat? XOXO Gossip Girl_**


	6. 6: Twilight In The Garden Of Good & Evil

**CHAPTER 6: Twilight In The Garden Of Good & Evil (Part 1)**

**SPOTTED: They say that timing is everything, and unfortunately for our favorite Park Avenue princes and princesses, that also applies to the Upper East Side. Sure, we might be able to get our favorite Thai dish delivered at 3AM, and the right amount of clout may allow you to shop at Barney's after hours, but there are things money can't buy, and good timing is one of them. Sometimes we speak too soon, sometimes we act too late, and sometimes we get it all wrong. I've got a riddle for you; what do you call four people with something to say and no right time to say it? What's that, you say? An unmitigated disaster? With any luck, you're right. **

Dan Humphrey wasn't entirely sure what had become of his life. One day he was nobody, invisible Dan Humphrey from Brooklyn, with nothing but a cabbage patch doll and a dream of a girl in his heart, the next he was wandering the grounds of a palace, in Monaco, on the eve of the wedding of Blair Waldorf (to a prince no less), his mind full of lustful thoughts for Nate Archibald, and feeling guilty over Serena van der Woodsen, all while trying to pay attention to his father, who had just arrived with his wife, Lily Rhodes van der Woodsen Bass Humphrey. The fact that he was ruminating over all of this while notes coming from the cello of Yo Yo Ma himself hung in the air was not lost on him. The gardens were covered in a soft glow from the lanterns that were strung up in the trees. Everywhere one looked there were lords and ladies, footmen carrying platters of h'orderves, and smiling faces, some more familiar than others.

"Something on your mind son?" Rufus placed a friendly hand on his son's shoulder.

"Oh, uh, no, no. I just, it's jet-lag. I'm a little out of it," Dan's eyes met every passerby, but would not look at his father. He sipped his drink.

"Are you sure that's it? It wouldn't have anything to do with Blair's getting married tomorrow would it?"

"No," he laughed. "I can say unequivocally that Blair is the least of my worries right now. Not that I have any worries, because, I don't. But if I did, that would be the least of them."

"Right." Rufus nodded, unconvinced.

"Daniel, how are you, darling?" Lily met him and Rufus, handing a flute of champagne to Rufus before sharing kisses on the cheek with Dan.

"I'm great, yeah. I'm great. How was, uh, where were you guys? Cannes?"

"Yes, it was wonderful! It's always great to get out of the city in the winter, especially when it's a harsh one," Lily smiled from the behind her flute of champagne.

Dan matched her smile. "You guys came with Eric?"

"Yeah, but I have no idea where he is," Rufus chimed in.

"He must be around here somewhere. He's brought along a plus one. There have been lot's of plus-ones lately. I'd say he was quite the lady's man, but…"

"But that would be me. It seems I've taught him well, in any case," Chuck sauntered up to the group, smoothing his hair with his hand.

"Charles!" Lily embraced him warmly.

"Lily, Rufus…_Daniel,_" Chuck's eyes gave Dan a slow once over.

"Chuck," Dan spat. He wondered if there would ever be a time when Chuck would address him without the obvious disdain in his voice, or the you're-like-a-piece-of-gum-on-my-shoe-and-you-won't-come-off look on his face. Despite the number of years and tenuous familial relations between them, Dan estimated that Chuck's feelings toward him had warmed about as much as a gin fizz before Cici Rhodes would have finished it and ordered another.

"I'd say it was great to have the whole family together, but where's Jenny?" Chuck asked while adjusting his lapels.

"Jenny will be joining us just before the ceremony tomorrow. She could only get two days off. She's been so busy lately, interning at McQueen," a somewhat strained look flashed across Rufus's face.

"Rufus, you must be very proud."

"We both are! She's come such a long way. The move to London was a great decision for her," Lily beamed.

As riveting as this conversation of catch-up was,everything drowned out to white noise when Dan caught sight of Nate coming down the palace steps in his tuxedo, his hair pushed back, looking every bit the prince. Dan downed his champagne and held the glass out to his father.

"I'll, uh, be right back," Dan said nearly under his breath and wandered away from his family and into the glittering crowd. Bobbing and weaving around liveried servants and landed nobility, Dan wasn't sure what he'd say or do when he got to Nate, all he knew was that he wanted to be near him. He was feeling particularly adrift and out of his element that evening and needed an anchor. It suddenly felt to him as though everything in his life was moving very quickly, w hich was strange, since this, the pomp and pageantry, the tuxedos and gowns, had been his life for over five years now. _This is your life now_, he thought to himself, his head spinning. _And this has been your life since Serena_.

Just then, as if materialized by his thoughts, Serena appeared before him, draped ina column of peach and purple that mirrored the Monacesque sunset,halting his progress.

"Can we talk?"

XOXO

Blair Waldorf could not have been more in her element. Surrounded by royalty, courtiers, diplomats, and global power-players, she was experiencing one of those moments when her real life and the movie of her life in her head were in perfect chorus. For the first time in a long time everything seemed to be going perfectly according to plan. She was soon to be a princess, married to the heir of a small but fabled island nation with unquestionable cachet. She was pregnant with an heir, a feat that many a woman with royal ambitions had failed to attain, leaving those ambitions, and often the women themselves, killed.She was surrounded by friends and family; Eleanor was in rare form, trading subtle digs with Princess Sophie, her father and Roman were elated that she would be so close for most of the year, and Dorota, for the first time in her life, had minions of her own in the form of her royal staff. And then there was Cyrus; hardly ten minutes could go by without an exuberant, "NOT ENOUGH," echoing throughout the halls of the palace. Yes, Serena may be bummed, what with Serena's ex-boyfriend (and step-brother) canoodling with their mutual ex, but if Blair had learned anything in the past few year's it's that love is unpredictable. One could be in love and not know how to say it. One could admit one is in love and take it back. One could be completely in love and in a secure relationship and then suddenly get traded for a hotel. Or the love of one's life could stand one up at the top of the Empire State building and then fall into bed with _Jenny Humphrey_. One could also be heartbroken, bereft, despondent, and then out of the blue a prince appears with one's discarded Vivier pump. It was better not to question it.

And question it was one thing she refused to do. Louis was a wonderful man and sure to be a wonderful father. There wasn't a box on her exhaustive list of prerequisites he didn't check. Sure, he wasn't as well versed in pop culture as he was in haute culture, and he was lacking the scheme gene. No, he wasn't much for verbal sparring, but their conversations were always delightful, stimulating, and full of only the kindest words for her. He was like Nate, but he could read. Their love may lack the melodrama and fireworks of an epic Russian novel, but it had all the charm and sparkle of a simple fairy tale, and that was exactly what she wanted. And she reminded herself that it was exactly what she wanted every day. Exactly what she wanted.

Blair was standing in the receiving line next to Louis, soaking it all in and shaking hands with debutantes and dignitaries. Dorota stood a few feet behind her, taking notes on the seemingly endless list of names and positions she was expected to remember. Currently she found herself making small talk with Fredereik Dalgaard, the Belgian ambassador.

"Ms. Waldorf, you look enchanting," the ambassador said with a bow of his head.

"Thank you, Your Excellency. Dalgaard, is it? You wouldn't be the same Ambassador Dalgaard whose son is Damien Dalgaard, would you?"

The ambassador visibly steeled himself. "The very same, Miss. How is it that you know Damien?"

"The better question is, who _doesn't_ know Damien at this point? Drug busts are front page news for _The Post_, after all," Blair's tone was pleasant, but her eyes were cutting. The ambassador turned a deep rouge.

"Miss," he murmured before bowing and continuing down the line.

"What did you say to Ambassador Dalgaard? He looked very embarrassed…" Louis whispered to Blair through a smile while shaking hands.

"We were just discussing a mutual friend…" Blair smiled coyly.

"Oh. He was probably just disarmed by your beauty," Louis smiled before learning in for a quick kiss before the next guest was announced.

"Charles Bartholomew Bass!" shouted a liveried servant at the door.

"Great. Speak of drugs and he doth appear…" Blair said under her breath.

"What?" Louis asked.

"Nothing."

Blair offered Chuck her hand with a tight lipped smile. "Bass."

"Waldorf."

"Wonderful night for a concert, isn't it?" She didn't meet his eyes, instead she concentrated on his tie, and wondered when he started taking fashion advice from Humphrey.

"Blair…"

"What is it, Chuck? I've got plenty of other hands to shake. If you could just move down the line…"

"We need to talk…"

"What about? That tie?" Blair met his eyes for the first time in their exchange. She was halfway through giving him a "checkmate" look before she realized what a mistake that was. Suddenly she felt as though someone had torn something out of her. Her hand instinctively moved to her unborn child. Chuck was just standing there, staring at her. She glanced to Louis, who was watching them.

"Chuck, move! And try not to embarrass me in front of my future subjects," she hissed. Chuck bowed his head and continued down the line. Blair sighed heavily, looking up to the gilded ceiling.  
><em>This is what I want. This is what I want…<em>

_**SPOTTED: B getting what she wants, but does she know what she needs?**_

XOXO

Nate Archibald couldn't get a certain question out of his head. _What are we getting ourselves into?_ Until Dan asked that, he hadn't really given it much thought. However, since then it had been all he'd been able to think about. He had to admit to himself that he wanted Dan, and whatever that meant about him, or his sexuality, or his reputation, he wasn't entirely sure, but he was confident that with Dan around he'd be able to figure it out. He felt sort of guilty about it, cutting Dan off with a kiss when he clearly wanted to do what Dan does best, talk. But Nate had learned over the years that some things could be talked to death. He had been one to enjoy being blissfully ignorant. He hadn't want to ask, or answer, any questions about Blair when he was losing her to Chuck. It took him three years to ask any questions of Serena, though he was burning with them since the day she left. He rarely, if ever, questioned his mother, hadn't questioned his father until he proved himself egregiously questionable, and never asked questions of his grandfather until it was too late.

This habit was something Nate was trying to leave behind. He wanted to be someone who addressed issues before they became overwhelming, like Blair. He had felt so suffocated by Blair when they were dating. She always had expectations of him; she expected and encouraged him to do things, to want things, and occasionally to say and even think things. She demanded that he reach, just as loftily as she had. Serena was so much easier, with her he could just be content. They could just sit and be happy. They aspired to little more than a good time and each other. He felt as though that he had found, in Dan, a nice balance of the two. With Dan he could relax; nothing stressful about waffles and weed at the loft. Dan was like Blair though, in that he was always reaching, though in a quieter, less dramatic way. Dan never pushed him, he just held out a hand and said let's go.

Nate had decided to say all of this to Dan that night. His eyes swept the undulating crowd as he picked the raspberry out of his champagne flute and popped it into his mouth. _Where is Dan, anyway?_ Nate asked himself. He'd bumped into Rufus and Lily and though they had been with him earlier, they had no idea where he was. Blair was busy, Chuck was surely lurking. _Shit,_ he said under his breath. He needed to get to Dan before Serena. The sunset, the orchestral music, the topiaries, Dan would say yes to anything, or anyone, under these circumstances. That last train of thought made him smirk despite himself, remembering how Dan had once said: "I'm an easy drunk. Especially when I'm drunk on ambiance."

Nate emptied his glass and turned from the bar to look for Dan when he found himself blocked by a wall of minions.

"Hey Nate," Penelope smiled, her lashes batting. Nelly and the rest waved from behind her.

"Hey, Penelope, how are you?"

"Great," she slipped her arm around his and linked them. "Now that I've found you! Let's dance, it's been so long!"

"I dunno, I've got to look for -"

"I won't take no for an answer!" Penelope dragged him to the small dance floor, the other girls giggling and cooing in her wake.

Nate threw her a resigned smile and allowed himself to be dragged, his eyes searching the crowd.

XOXO

Serena van der Woodsen was once again at a crossroad. Before her lay two paths, paths which lead to vastly divergent versions of the future. There was the road well-traveled, the proverbial beaten path, down which she would follow her baser instincts; to seduce, blackmail, or otherwise ensnare Dan. Down that path lay the old Serena, the Serena who had grown up in a world of deception and manipulation, a Machiavellian world in which the ends _always_ justified the means. But there was another road, down which lay the Serena that Dan had seen in her years ago, a Serena who would try to accept what she could not change. This was the path of least resistance. Even Blair, the queen of end-game, had hinted to her that if whatever was going on between Dan and Nate was real, she would do best to leave it alone. But this was Dan, the love of her life. The worst part was that she knew exactly when she lost him. She had had Nate and she had had Dan and all she had to do was choose, but she just couldn't at the time. She was confident that one, or both, of them would wait for her, but it seemed that while waiting for her they found each other.

Serena was waging this internal battle between her two selves as she and Dan looked for a quiet place to talk. Her arms were folded across her chest and she couldn't bring herself to even look over at him, but she could tell he was keeping pace with her. Eventually they found a stone bench by the large maze of bushes, far enough away from the music and conversation to feel private. She sat on the bench and looked up at him for the first time, her long blonde hair falling over one shoulder, the baguettes of her necklace twinkling like the lanterns above. He just stood there looking at her, a somewhat conflicted look on his face.

"Take a seat," she forced a cheery smile.

"Ok," Dan sat as though he were sitting on a crate of eggs. "Listen, Serena…there's something -"

"No," she cut him off. "Please, let me go first," she placed a hand on his leg. He looked at it as though she was a stranger on the subway. She removed it, clearing her throat. _Here we go_…

"Dan, I love you…and," she began, but Dan's phone went off.

"Sorry, one sec," he smiled at her and fished his phone out of his pocket.

She wasn't trying to be nosey, or at least in hindsight she would tell herself that she wasn't, but when she saw the text Dan had just received, when she saw the way his face lit up, the way he smiled, the way his whole demeanor relaxed, the way it used to with her, she knew which road she had to take.

_Dancing with Penelope. Ugh. Where are you? Help! LOL xx N_

XOXO

PART II

Chuck Bass was indeed lurking, propped up against the small marble columns that made up the ledge of the terrace overlooking the palace grounds, where friends, family, and assorted Humphreys were wading around and enjoying themselves. He had needed a moment to himself, away from all the wedding talk. His interaction with Blair on the receiving line was haunting him, She had hardly looked at him, but there was something in her eyes when she did. Something.

Sipping his scotch, Chuck couldn't help but feel like he was living an entirely different life than the one he had lead before the accident. He could still feel Blair in his hands, hear the words they shared as if it were not more than five minutes ago. His hand squeezed his glass as he waited for a wave of pain to pass.

"Chuck…"

Chuck froze, his eyes snapping open. Last he'd checked the terrace was empty. The voice he'd heard had sounded terribly like Blair's, but he tried to convince himself that it wouldn't be her as he turned around.

"Blair…" he wasn't sure whether he screamed her name, whispered it, or had said it at all.

The two of them walked slowly toward each other. The terrace was empty and draped in shadow, making the sunset and revelry going on behind them seem even more vibrant. Chuck couldn't help but notice just how beautiful Blair looked that night, her baby bump was hardly visible under the peplum of her blood orange dress, the same color as his tie. Her hair fell gently over her shoulders, held back from her face by what he was sure must be a Grimaldi family heirloom. When they were as close to each other as they would dare, the distance between them much greater than Chuck would have hoped. They just looked at each other for what seemed like minutes before either of them spoke.

"How are you?" Blair spoke first.

"I'm well, all things considered. You look…beautiful."

"Thank you. Princess Sophie gave me a clip from the family vault."

"I thought as much."

"I'm sorry about -"

"No need. It's alright," he paused. "How is…"

Blair's hand found itself on her stomach once again. "Strong. Restless," she almost laughed.

"Like its mother."

"His mother, actually."

Chuck took a step toward her and stopped himself. "Blair, that's amazing. Congratulations."

"I haven't told anyone yet. Not even Louis…"

Chuck couldn't decide if that made him feel better or worse, but that didn't stop him from closing the gap between them by another step. "You're going to be a fantastic mother."

"And Louis is going to make a great father," she looked away. She figured that this last bit would halt him, but when she looked up he was even closer than he was before.

"I'm sure he will." Another step.

"Monacesque school's aren't the best, but there are amazing boarding schools in Switzerland…" she trailed off. Chuck was almost close enough to reach out and touch.

"Yes, they're some of the best." Another step.

"And we'll have access to all of the best tutors…"

"The best around." Yet annother step.

"Chuck…"

Chuck lifted his hand and placed it on her stomach. Blair jumped, and he could feel the baby kick. His hand then traveled across her stomach and up her side, resting at her hip. He was looking her dead in the eye, searching for answers to the thousand questions he didn't have time to ask. Blair's mouth fell open and her eyes closed under the influence of his touch. They were nearly pressed together at this point.

"This could be our son, Blair. I told you, I would raise him as my own. There's still time," he breathed into her ear, his lips tracing over her ear lobe.

Blair raised a hand to Chuck's cheek, her eyes bouncing between his. "That…can never be, Chuck."

"Why? What's happened? That night, we, we were ready to run away together. We were on our way to the airport!"

Blair's eyes were full of tears at this point, a rebellious one made the leap for her cheek. "There are some forces even more powerful than you, Chuck."

"What do you mean? Who? Louis?! What has he done to you? Who is doing this?!" Chuck was nearly crying himself, his voice strained.

"I made a promise that I intend to keep. I'm sorry. Just know that I love you, Chuck. There will never be a time where I don't love you. But we can never be together. Not like that. Please try to understand. I have to go," Blair removed herself from him. She was fighting back the urge to sob, and her unborn son might as well have been doing a waltz inside her. She pressed a kiss to Chuck's cheek before turning to go.

Chuck watched her leave, crushed. As she disappeared through the large, ornate doors, he sunk to his knees and, for the first time since the accident, he wept.

_**SPOTTED: Chuck Bass making his last stand, only to wind up on his knees.**_

XOXO

_Dancing with Penelope. Ugh. Where are you? Help! LOL xx N_

Dan Humphrey couldn't help but smile. Serena was acting very weird and very serious, and he knew he probably shouldn't be giggling, but the thought of Nate dancing cheek to cheek with Penelope while she shamelessly threw herself at him was hilarious.

_Can't talk now, with S. x D_

"Sorry about that," he said while stuffing his phone back into his pocket. "What were you saying?"

XOXO

Nate Archibald now knew what it was like being held hostage. Penelope was pressed against him like they were riding a packed subway car, going on and on about her vacation somewhere or the other, he wasn't paying much attention. He'd gotten really good at nodding, and yessing, and laughing at all the right points in a conversation without listening over the years.

"And so I said to Isabelle, I was like, she was wearing clogs!" Penelope burst out laughing.

"Clogs! Right. How dare she." _Seriously_?

"I know, right? I mean, 1998 much?"

"Totally." Nate felt his phone vibrate. He fished it out of his pocket and held it up behind Penelope, who was continuing with her story so passionately that her eyes were closed. Or she was wasted. She kept stepping on his toes. She was probably wasted.

_Can't talk now, with S. x D_

Nate suddenly let go of Penelope, throwing an incredulous look at his phone. Penelope, having grown accustomed to using Nate as a balance, fell to the ground, knocking a few people on her way down.

"So sorry, Pen! I've gotta run!"

And run he did, as the rest of Blair's minions surrounded a mortified Penelope, all clearly suppressing smiles.

XOXO

Dan Humphrey was getting antsy. Serena was taking a while to spit it out, and he really wanted to go find Nate. But he would stick it out, because he's Dan, and she's Serena. And besides, it's not like he hadn't missed more important opportunities than making out with Nate for her before. Plus, she looked really upset. He took her hand.

"Serena, what is it? You know you can tell me anything."

"And you can tell me anything too, right?" Serena's blue eyes were cloudy with impending tear-fall.

"Uh, yeah. Yes. Of course. That's how this whole trust thing works, if I'm not mistaken," he threw her that lopsided Humphrey grin.

"Well," Serena knew what she was about to say was straight out of the thirteen year old playbook, but if there were any way she could avoid confronting Dan about this and get him to admit it himself, she was prepared to try it. "Is there anything you've been meaning to tell me? Before…before I tell you?"

Dan's jaw clenched. There was absolutely no way that Serena knew. Well, there wasn't absolutely no way. Nothing is absolute, but he was pretty damn sure that the probability was getting down there near absolute zero. "What? Who? Me? Something to tell…you? Why? Do I look guilty or something? You know, my dad always says that I have a guilty face. Something about the way my brow furrows, or something?" Dan was contorting his face at this point and gesticulating toward his eyebrows.

Serena just stared at him.

"You know, kind of how Chuck's face always looks like he's gonna rip your clothes off? Even mine. Like, that's just his face. I'm sure he doesn't wanna rip my clothes off," he laughed. "That..that would be silly…right? I mean, he told me so himself. I don't look anything like Zac Efron…"

Serena rested her head in her hand, grinning slightly but mostly looking exasperated. Dan stopped rambling and just looked at her, his eyebrows raised a bit.

"You might..want to just tell me, whatever it is you had to tell me, because I don't have anything to tell you. I mean, I have things to tell you, but nothing..pressing, you know?" He paused. "You know what? I'm jet-lagged. And, I think I might have had one too many kir royales?"

Serena couldn't take it anymore. "Dan, I know."

Dan smiled. "You can always tell when I'm drunk. You are very good at that."

"No," Serena began digging around in her bag for her phone. "I mean, I _know_."

Dan gulped. _There is no way that she knows, Humphrey. Get it together. AND STOP CALLING YOURSELF HUMPHREY_. "Know what?"

Serena had secured her phone and began going through the motions of retrieving the picture of he and Nate. "I know that you and -"

"Nate?"

"Yes! About you and Nate," Serena looked to her left, the photo of he and Nate kissing glowing on the screen, but Dan wasn't there.

Dan had spotted Nate rushing toward them, looking mildly out of breath, and had stood up . He had in fact had a few too many kir royales, so he would never be sure if he stood because he had the impulse to run to meet Nate or whether he stood up because he felt as though he was being caught in a compromising position with Serena, but either way he was on his feet and wasn't exactly sure what Serena had been saying.

"Hey! How was dancing with Penelope?"

"Great," Nate was breathing a little heavily but beaming in Dan's direction. "Hey, Serena."

"Hey, Nate…" Serena sighed and put her phone away. "I'm going to go find Blair," she got up and walked past the two boys who were just standing smiling at each other.

"Oh, uh, Serena, what was it you wanted to tell me?"

Serena noticed that Dan's eyes only left Nate for a second to look at her. "Nothing. Whatever it was, it doesn't matter. I'll see you guys later," she said as she sauntered off back to the party.

"That was weird, she seemed like she really wanted to tell me something."

"And you seem a little drunk," Nate smiled.

"I am a little drunk!"

"On the ambiance?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Oh. Wanna see how drunk I am?"

"Yeah, tell me, how drunk are you?"

Dan grabbed Nate by his tie and dragged him into the maze. "This drunk," he said before grabbing the label of Nate's tuxedo and pressing their lips together. As they stumbled back into the maze of bushes, Dan noticed that Nate tasted like raspberries as their tongues lashed at each other. Very drunk indeed.

_**SPOTTED: Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. We all crave closure, but on our quest for answered questions, do we ever stop to think whether or not the answers will be worth it? Everything and everyone has a price, but who is around to tell us when that price is too steep? Are answers more expensive than ignorance? Maybe the ignorant are blissful because the tax on knowledge often leaves us bankrupt of the happiness we had before we went bargain shopping. I don't have to worry about any of this though, because like all of the great minds before me, I outsource my work. I ask the questions, you provide the answers, and everyone else picks up the check, because Gossip Girl never goes dutch. Price check! You know you love me, XOXO**_


	7. 7: Twilight In The Garden of G&E, Pt 2

**CHAPTER 7: Twilight In The Garden of Good & Evil (Part 2)**

_**SPOTTED: Secrets, secrets are no fun. Until someone who isn't supposed to know finds out, that is. We keep secrets for a reason; sometimes its to keep someone else from getting hurt, other times we keep secrets because we are afraid of what will happen if anyone finds out. And then there are the secrets we keep because they are delusions and airing them will bring our house of cards crumbling down. Secrets can guard our feeblest of rationalizations, shroud our convictions in a flimsy sheet of armor. The only problems with secrets is they never stay secrets for long, especially when I'm around. Two can only keep a secret if one of them is dead, and since all of you are alive to read this, I suspect you know a few. **_

Serena van der Woodsen needed a stiff drink. Her plan to inform Dan that she knew about him and Nate had gone completely awry. She had _planned_ to show Dan the picture she had taken of he and Nate kissing on New Year's Eve and simply wait for him to launch into a lengthy monologue of explanations before eventually settling on what was already evident; he and Nate were, in fact, together. Instead she got drunk-Dan rambling on about Chuck and Zac Efron, and he and Nate making googly eyes at each other like seventeen year olds. She wasn't exactly mad. How could she be after seeing how they looked at each other? But she did feel irrelevant, which to her, and she would never admit this to anyone, felt like the worst fate. Serena wasn't under the delusion that she would, or could, always get what she wanted, but she was entirely unaccustomed to being disqualified.

_Where are you, B?! xo S_

Serena snapped her phone shut as she made her way across the lawn toward the bar. By now the sun had all but set, casting a blanket of purples and indigos over the palace grounds. Lanterns were glowing in the trees and baguettes were twinkling on the necks, wrists, ears, and fingers of nearly everyone in attendance. The bar was nearly in sight when Serena passed by a familiar figure lurking in the shadow of a topiary.

"Chuck?" Serena slowed to a stop.

"My, my, don't we look ravishing tonight," Chuck said from behind his drink.

"Thanks…I guess. Have you seen Blair anywhere?" Serena paused and cocked a brow. "Why are you literally lurking in a shadow right now?"

"I'm not exactly in a festive mood, but the bar is out here and thus, so am I." Chuck raised the glass to his lips.

Serena stared at him for a moment. "Chuck, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Did something happen with Blair?"

"Serena, I said I'm fine."

"Do you want to -"

"No," Chuck growled.

"Oh. Well, okay! Have you seen her lately though? I really need to find her."

"Follow the sound the French speech impediment, I'm sure she's buzzing around it somewhere," Chuck smirked. He always hated the way Louis spoke.

"Well, that was pleasant. Have a nice night, Chuck," Serena gave Chuck one last up-and-down before she walked away.

XOXO

Nate Archibald was not used to being the responsible one. He laughed as Dan sucked on his neck, and gasped when he felt one of Dan's hands slip below his belt. His back was up against a bush, whose branches were sticking him in the back. His shirt was half-buttoned, his tie was askew, and it would appear as though he had a very horny Humphrey on his hands. As much as he loved this new side of Dan, he wasn't nearly as drunk and was painfully aware of how they were surrounded by people. He gently coaxed Dan up from his chest and kissed him.

"Who are you and what have you done with Dan Humphrey?" he laughed.

"He's somewhere under all this liquor," Dan smirked.

"Well, I think we need to get a few canapés in you and at least go see Blair, so I can apologize for earlier."

"I prefer the stuffed mushroom things, but that plan sounds bully to me!" Dan rocked back and forth slightly as he fixed his jacket.

"Bully?"

"Bully!" Dan thrust a fist to the air and shouted.

Nate laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, let's go," he gently pushed Dan ahead of him while readjusting his tie.

XOXO

Blair Waldorf was bracing herself against a sink. It had been nearly an hour since her run in with Chuck and she was still shaken, as was her baby, who had not stopped raging since Chuck first touched her. She had had to excuse herself from berating Penelope for being so unforgivably drunk as to knock over Pierre Casiraghi on the dance floor for a moment of peace. _This isn't prom, Penelope. Who told you that you were allowed to dance with Nate anyway?_ She couldn't forget the warmth of Chuck's hand on her hip, or rid herself of the sensation of his lips on her ear, or forget the words he whispered into it; "This could be our son, Blair". She was reminding herself of her commitments, of her covenant with God, when there was a knock on the door.

"One minute," she said, wiping another rebellious tear from her cheek.

"Blair?"

"Serena?" Blair's eyes met Serena's as she entered not more than a second later, and she threw herself into the other's arms and began to cry.

"Blair, what's wrong?" Serena wrapped Blair in her arms as Blair was racked with sobs. They stood there like this for a few moments before Blair spoke.

"I don't know what's wrong with me!"

"What do you mean?" Serena led Blair to a small chaise in the corner of the bathroom.

"I have everything I've ever wanted. Louis is so great to me. He's kind, he's intelligent, he's cultured, he's a prince! He's a prince, Serena! And I still can't rid myself of Chuck! I saw him earlier, on the terrace. I tried to keep my distance, S. I did. But we were pulled together. He told me this could be _our_ son."

"Son? Blair! That's fantastic! Oh my God!" Serena hugged her tightly.

"Well, you're the second person I've told."

"You told Chuck? Does Louis know?"

Blair shook her head.

"Blair, do you want to marry Louis?"

"Yes!"

"But you still love Chuck?"

Blair's eyes just met Serena's.

"Blair, if you and Chuck love each other…"

"I made a promise, Serena! We can never be together. Ever!" Blair stood up, her back to Serena.

"What do you mean you made a promise? To who?"

"Oh, you wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Blair turned around to face Serena once more.

XOXO

_At first all she could make out were general shapes and colors. There was a constant, rhythmic beeping in her ears. Her throat hurt, and though her impulse was to reach for it, her arm felt as though it was weighed down. As things slowly came into focus she realized that she was in a hospital bed, and in a flash she remembered why. _

_"I have to tell Louis face to face that the wedding is off. He deserves at least that."_

_"Are you sure you want to do this? A prince, a fairy tale wedding, this is all you've ever wanted!"_

_She could remember how quickly the car was moving that night as she and Chuck were making their escape. She could remember the roaring of the paparazzi's motorcycles outside._

_"You, you're all I've ever wanted. I love you. I love every part of you. I couldn't tell Louis that he would never lose me because it wasn't true. You're the one I never want to leave."_

_And the fire and passion behind his kiss, she could never forget that._

_"How do you want to do this?" The warmth of Chuck's hands grabbing hers._

_"First we have to go to the consulate so I can tell Louis it's off and then, I don't know! We could go anywhere. Switzerland has impeccable schools. Or maybe Tokyo? They have Opening Ceremony and great test scores."_

_The excitement and conviction in his eyes when he cupped her cheek and said, "Blair, we don't have to go anywhere. We can raise this baby right here."_

_The paparazzi were frantically taking pictures at this point, and shouting at each other. She could remember feeling the vibrations of their motorcycles even in the car they were so close._

_"Look at them…" she remembered almost pitying them._

_"Don't look at them, look at me," she could remember never wanting to look away. "I love you, Blair. I'll never leave you again."_

_After that all she could remember was the driver shouting, and the haunting sound of metal whining as it folded in on itself. After that it was all black._

XOXO

Dan Humphrey hadn't realized that he was actually starving. Nate had deposited him in a chair with a stern "Stay right there," and wandered back into the crowd with a promise of food. The scene before him was starting to rock back and forth like they were on a boat, and he smacked himself on the cheek a few times as though that were going to make it stop. He figured that the only thing stopping him from being a fall down mess was the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He had felt so liberated, sneaking around with Nate like he had in the maze. It was similar to the rush he got sneaking around with Georgina, but without any of the post-coital-I-just-had-sex-with-public-enemy-number-one guilt.

"If I told you that you've looked better I'm afraid that you'd take it as a compliment," Chuck smarmed as he came upon Dan.

"'Ello, Chuck." Dan hiccupped.

Chuck just stared at him.

"You haven't seen Nate, have you?"

"No, I'm afraid I haven't."

"He said he was coming back with food. I've had a bit too much to drink."

"Riveting."

"You know, Chuck. We've known each other for years now, and we've even hung out. I think you can dial back the vitriol."

"Fair enough. We'll kick off our new relationship by me doing you a favor."

Dan shot Chuck a questioning look.

"Your buttons…" Chuck smirked and motioned to Dan's shirt with his glass.

Dan chuckled with embarrassment and redid his buttons while Chuck took a seat next to him."Seriously though, where is Nate?" he hiccupped again.

"Daniel, I want to tell you that I don't entirely disapprove of you and Nathaniel. Any reservations I have about the two of you are entirely aesthetic, and entirely about yours. That mop on your head, the ready-to-wear suits. You've come a long way from your days with Serena but…"

"I don't feel so well," Dan mumbled.

"What's that?"

Dan looked back at Chuck with a far-off expression.

"Humphrey, what did I tell you about looking at me like that? I'm not interested in whatever you're consigning."

And with that Dan vomited on Chuck's shoe.

"GOD DAMN IT, HUMPHREY!" Chuck shouted as he stomped away.

Dan wiped his mouth and shouted after Chuck. "Hey, I'm sorry, man! Chuck! I guess this means the vitriol's back on?"

**_SPOTTED: Lonely Boy adding insult to injury. Tough luck, Bass._**

XOXO

_Serena's was the first face she was able to make out. Lily was beside her and she could see Dan's rat's nest of hair in the corner, sleeping. Serena and her mother were cooing in hushed tones, but she wasn't able to make sense of any of the words for a few moments. She tried to speak but her voice was scratchy and breathy. _

_"Your baby's fine," Serena smiled down at her, smoothing her hair._

_"Where's Chuck?" were the first words she could manage to speak. Serena and her mother looked at each other, worried looks on their faces. Dan had woken and was standing at foot of her bed._

_"B, Chuck lost a lot of blood…" Serena almost whispered. "He..he's in the ICU," Serena looked at her mother, tears in both of their eyes._

_"Is he…?" she could remember asking._

_"He's in a coma…" Dan had offered. _

XOXO

Blair Waldorf was crying in Serena's arms again. She had told Serena everything. How she had gone to the hospital's chapel as soon as she was able to walk, and prayed. She prayed to God to save Chuck. She made a covenant with Him to remain faithful to Louis, to lay aside whatever childish notions she had of living happily-ever-after with Chuck. How she had made a decision to grow up and accept her responsibilities, accept the life she had always wanted for herself but was apparently too ungrateful to truly enjoy.

"Blair, God didn't save Chuck. It wasn't your promise, it was modern medicine," Serena moved a few stray hairs from Blair's face. "He would never want you to be unhappy, trapped in a marriage that isn't what you want, with a baby you'd rather be raising with someone else."

"I can't take that chance, Serena. Chuck was all but dead. Now he's alive. I'd rather be with Louis and he be alive than have him, for however long, and..."

"He's going to die one day, Blair, we all are. Chuck could die tomorrow, you could die tomorrow…"

"No. I've made my decision, Serena," Blair said sternly while wiping away her tears. "I'm going to marry Louis tomorrow. I am going to be Her Serene Highness, Princess Blair Cornelia Waldorf Grimaldi, and my son will beheir to the throne. If Queen Elizabeth can give up all men, I can give up one."

"Blair…"

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Blair questioned while fixing her hair in the mirror.

Dorota opened the door. "Miss Blair, you are wanted outside for toast with Prince."

With a final dusting of powder over her nose, Blair raised her chin regally in the mirror. "Come, come, Serena. My future subjects await," she said as she swept from the bathroom.

XOXO

Serena van der Woodsen felt that everything was suddenly put into perspective. As she descended the stairs from the palace to the grounds where everyone was gathered, she realized she didn't have it so bad. Blair was in love with a man that she wouldn't allow herself to be with. She was about to marry another who was nice enough, and a prince, but who wasn't the prince of her heart. Serena realized that she could be trapped in a situation like that instead of just being forced to suffer the indignity of two of her former loves finding love with one another. Dan and Nate were two of her best friends and though it would be tough, she decided that she wanted to give them her blessing. At the end of the day, Serena was a romantic, and though it pained her to let them both go, she wasn't going to stand in the way of love. She found them sitting at a table with her mother, Rufus, Eric, and Eric's guest. She took a seat between Nate and Eric.

"Eric! I haven't seen you all night! How are you?" she hugged him.

"I'm great, thanks!"

"And who is this?" Serena smiled and offered her hand to Eric's date.

"Serena, this is Harry Betancourt. Harry, this is Serena, my sister."

It was then that the clinking of glass rang out over the tables. Louis and Blair were standing on a small stage where Yo Yo Ma had been performing.

_Bonsoir, everyone! I am so glad that you all could make it here, on the eve of our wedding day…_

Serena placed a hand on Nate's arm and gave it a squeeze. "Hey," she whispered with a smile.

"Hey," Nate smiled back before his face went serious. "Serena, listen, I'm sorry about earlier…"

_When I met Blair, standing in front of Manet's _La Denjeuner sur l'herbe_, I remember thinking that I just had to meet this beautiful, delicate creature. She had been to the Louvre several times before, that I know of, and every time I caught her standing in front of that painting…_

"You know what? There's no need to apologize, I shouldn't have called _The Spectator_ a rag, especially after everything you've done to help me, with S by S and everything…"

"I was just jetlagged from the flight over, and I was cranky, and in no condition to be firing or hiring anyone, if you know what I mean…" Nate smiled and motioned a joint to his lips.

_When I told her that I had to gather up my courage to approach her, she told me that she loved the Impressionists and wondered why I wasn't emboldened by the fact that she was clearly a romantic. And what a true romantic she is…_

Serena turned more toward Nate. "Nate, I tried to talk to Dan earlier but," she looked over at Dan, who was eating a roll of bread like it was the last he'd ever see. "He was pretty drunk."

Nate laughed quietly. "I know, he threw up on Chuck!"

Serena giggled, which earned her a stern look from Lily."But really, I just wanted to talk to him about…"

_Blair's keen mind and effervescent spirit make every day as entertaining as one of her favorite Hepburn films. Her kindness and trusting spirit…_

"Nate, I know."

"About what?"

"About you and Dan."

Nate turned a bright shade of rouge, gulped down his glass of wine and began to cough.

_I truly could not have asked for a woman more perfect for me than Blair, mon petite dauphine..._

"What? What about me and Dan?"

"Nate, I saw you two, on New Years, at _The Spectator_ party…"

"What do you think you saw? Nothing exciting even happened that night, other than that whole Lea Michele thing…"

_So, I ask everyone to raise a glass in toast to my beautiful future wife, and the heir to the throne!_

"Nate there's no reason to lie, I know. And I'm fine with it," Serena opened her purse and fetched her phone as everyone began to applaud.

"But, Serena…"

She settled on the picture of he and Dan just as the applause died down, which meant that everyone heard when an "OH MY GOD!" came from behind Serena.

It was Jenny Humphrey, and her eyes were on the photo.

_**SPOTTED: Little J stumbling onto one monumental piece of gossip. On the Upper East Side, secrets are often the ties that bind. A well-guarded secret can be worth its weight in gold - literally, just ask the help. They can tear us apart just as readily as they can tie us together. But what happens when someone pulls the strings? Usually it's pandemonium, and I'm the one who lights the flame. XOXO**_


End file.
